The Glass Horse
by mgld
Summary: An imaginary Tales of the South Seas Season 2-4.
1. Chapter 1

Thank you, Linda, always. I couldn't complete this story without your big help.

**The Glass Horse**

Spoiler: The Locket, Blackbirding, Fool's Gold, Rock of Ages, Grief and the Lepers, Compass and the Killer, the End of Jenny

prologue

The sunken wreck wasn't very big. Several lemon-sharks passed over the deck. They didn't stop for the dead bodies which were tied at the main mast. Instead many kinds of small colourful fishes pecked at them.

A lump-fish drifted into the empty hold.

Charles V sat on the bottom surrounded by the natural creatures of the South Seas.

1-1

The dream about her ex-lover was bittersweet but when she awoke, it faded quickly without trace, and she forgot all of it.

It was very early morning. Isabelle Reed stretched like a cat in her warm, comfortable, tiny bed, half opening her green eyes, smiling at the pleasure of waking up in her own place.

"Well, not completely my place yet, but some day-." She jumped out of her bed and started to prepare for her daily chores. The sun hadn't risen yet. Everything outside was shades of dark blue. But it wasn't too dark to do her work.

She was cleaning stalls humming an old song without thinking. Dante nudged at her back with his warm wet nose. The air was still cool and smelt of fresh hay.

She was in a good mood. She felt like everything would go smoothly and well today. Something, maybe a lingering piece of her dream whispered to her, and she suddenly thought about her ex-lover.

_If I hadn't met Marcel, then I never would have come here. And now, I'm here by myself. Life is strange._

Isabelle never had had her dream before Matavai. Since her childhood she had been too busy trying to survive her life to dream, so she had known only to fulfill her desire any way she could. She might be greedy. She would like to have power and fortune, of course. But those things were desires, not a dream. While she had been with Marcel, when he had planned to steal that gold, she had thought about gems, a rich voyage to America with him. But it had been only a desire.

She had never thought about her life, what she really wanted to do, what she really wanted in her life.

She had a dream for the first time in her life. Her stables.

After she finished cleaning the last stall, she looked over her stables. She could see the new horses which she had bought from Pinon standing silently and swinging their long tails peacefully.

The sound of their grazing felt so cheerful to her.

Isabelle smiled at the sight and left for her own breakfast.

She cracked two eggs into a small bowl and added a little milk. After making quick work of scrambling the eggs, she glanced through her very small kitchen.

She really ought to have settled in by now. But even now, after she had spent longer than a year in this small building, still she had only one pan, a few unmatched dishes, and cutlery of various designs. And an old small cooking stove that was one that someone who had lived before her had left behind along with a huge, ugly, useless copper kettle. The kitchen symbolized the whole of this residence, the minimum, plain -too plain. It didn't look like someone's home but a temporary residence.

She usually had lunch or supper, or both in Lavinia's, and she thought it would stop once she had set her horse business on its way.

With only one sauce-pan, Isabelle couldn't cook eggs and make her coffee at the same time.

So she had to have cool eggs and hot coffee, or warm eggs and cool coffee in her morning.

She knew that she should cook the eggs last. An omelet or scrambled egg was quick, but brewing coffee took time.

However she wanted very hot coffee in her morning, so her only choice was 'cool egg' or 'without egg' and have a mango instead.

_I swear I'll buy another pan soon! And I need a coffee pot, and cutlery, too. -And a big cooking stove someday._

She quickly but carefully filled some ground deep-roasted coffee beans in a small flannel bag. The aroma was so nice in early morning air. But the scrambled egg was already cool.

1-2

Clare Devon was searching in her belongings for a book which she hadn't already read. From one glance at the beginning of the novel she had decided it didn't look so good, but at least it was new. She was always starving for new prints since she had come to Matavai. New books were rare here. She would read willingly even old newspapers and cheap novels if she could get them now.

_No it's not here. It must be in my office._

She had recently received a package of several books which her aunt had sent from London with a few small pretty things that women like - scented soaps, silk ribbons and a small silver comb with engravings of workmanship. Packages from her young rich aunt didn't come as often now, but still there was no place for them in her small room at Lavinia's. So her possessions were now stocked separated at two places; in her room in Lavinia's and in the office of the Matavai Messenger.

Aunt Beryl was the only relative who was very rich and who hadn't shown any disapproval at Clare's adventure. She even seemed amused by it. On the other hand, her own brothers hadn't changed their opinion; a young woman traveling to Tahiti, without chaperone, using her small property from her grandmother for such a thing, they hadn't liked any of it.

And they had said if their mother had been alive, she would have convinced her to stop her silliness. Clare had thought if their father had still been alive, he would stand for her only in her mind.

The young owner and only reporter of the Matavai Messenger didn't often think about her aunt these days. When she was a teenager, she had admired her young aunt; -Beryl was only seven years older.

But Clare had found she was not like her aunt; beautiful and eccentric. Her aunt had been always different from her plain relatives even when she had been still a girl in a not particularly rich family in the district. Beryl had left her family to marry a much older American ignoring her whole family's disagreement. Her husband made a fortune with a coal mine, two years after their marriage. And he had died a very rich man. After her husband's death, Beryl hadn't come back to her family and had chosen instead to live in London. She had sponsored young artists in London. Many newly-discovered artists and writers surrounded her in her salon. Once Clare had been invited to her salon and Clare had thought to herself how ordinary she was in comparison!

She wanted to be independent. But she couldn't be eccentric and she didn't want to be the one of those unusual people. They were too avant-garde. And she had no regrets about it. That kind of atmosphere wasn't really to her liking. And yet Clare had not been able to stop admiring her young beautiful aunt

On the other hand, she didn't feel she fit among her cousins and friends in her age, either. She could enjoy being with them. She had always liked to talk about pretty things and share small harmless gossip with them. But also she had often wondered what she was doing there during cheerful chatting or girls talk. Sometimes she had had to save what she wanted to say in front of her beloved brothers. And her father, one of the few people to whom she could speak almost freely, -he had been a rare person in his generation, had gone several years ago. Since then her oldest brother had ruled the family including her father's printing office, and frankly her brother had never understood her even though he loved his sister in his way.

Clare had been looking for her place always –until she started the Matavai Messenger. And the opportunity had made by a fake - a man whom she had thought that she had admired and had wanted to see; back then she had thought that her actions might made her like aunt Beryl. However there had been no-one like the man Clare had expected there. Instead there was only a drunken sailor.

She set about building her own independent life here in Tahiti. And the opportunity had been given by a man who had pretended to be a completely different man than he really was!

_Completely different? Is he, really? Jack?_

There is a clever and gentle young man who loves literature as much as I hiding in that shabby seaman.

And now, she started to like him –very much. Even his dangling earring which had annoyed her before, looked not odd to her; it's like a part of him.

_What would Beryl say if she knew?_

She picked up a small set of china which was from her aunt. She might bring it to her office for tea. –But even with beautiful tea cups, she would likely make poor tea.

She had frowned when she took a sip from her cup and mumbled 'what's wrong with my tea?' when her friend, Isabelle had joined her for tea in her office last week. Isabelle said she only needed to wait two or three minutes more until the tea leaf opened. But Clare couldn't find that few minutes of patience somehow.

On the other hand, Isabelle who seemed to always be a person in action could make wonderful tea as well as her strong, aromatic coffee. But the woman didn't even have a proper tea-set or even two cups the same.

Clare thought about tea time at Isabelle's; she often shared a drink with her friend at her stables. Tasty coffee with a simple white cup for Clare and a tin cup for Isabelle in front of Isabelle's stable yard. The aroma of tropical flowers and the sea breeze mixed with the coffee aroma. If she was lucky, there were a few coconut-flavored pancakes which Isabelle made using 'her only pan'. Clare had spoke about many of her interests and a bit of Jack McGonnigal. Isabelle listened and sometimes commented with short, simple, and straight-forward expressions. Clare had never needed to worry that Isabelle would think about her as a strange woman whose head was filled with strange things like she had been back in England.

Isabelle often told Clare about her plan for her horse business which she might not have told anyone other than her. Oh, they were so different, and yet they were such good friends.

Clare smiled to herself thinking about her life in Matavai.

_I'm building my beautiful life here finally. Life is strange. I went on a voyage for the first __time in my life; it'd taken more than five months from Liverpool. And began my real life._

1-3

"Bebelle!"

Isabelle stunned, looked back over her shoulder.

She and Captain Grief were at the wharf to see Pinon's departure. One young man was running toward a family. A slender girl was waving her hand to call the man, parting a few meters from her family.

"You thought he was calling you?" David looked down Isabelle who was still looking at the young man and the girl.

_Bebelle -Was that a childhood nickname -or perhaps a pet name used by some lover? _

She glanced at her tall partner and shrugged, but didn't answer his question.

Still looking at her David thought, did Marcel Pinnette used to call Isabelle, Bebelle?.

"Look, David. There's Pinon. Is that woman his wife?"

"Looks like it," he replied, turning to look at the big group of European families.

Pinon was leaving Tahiti for his young wife's sake. Isabelle couldn't remember if she had seen her before. Mrs. Pinon was a small blonde woman. She'd never liked Tahiti, so Isabelle had heard.

_Pinon - he was so good at business. I can't believe he could lose it over his wife._

Isabelle frowned thinking how she herself had borrowed money for the Rattler -for David's sake. She had known it hadn't been a wise choice. But she hadn't hesitated.

The two looked at Pinon's departure from afar. When Pinon recognized Isabelle, he nodded at her beyond his friends and acquaintances before he got on board leading his wife.

"I heard Pinon's return to France is all for his wife. Did you know that?" David asked.

"Yeah." She turned to leave. "We can have your breakfast and my coffee before we go to see Winston."

The tall captain didn't follow her.

"David?"

"I have a lot of mending to do on the Rattler today, you know. Perhaps you can bring something for my breakfast from Lavinia's. See you later." With that he hastily left.

Isabelle knew that they had mending that had to get done in a hurry, but that wasn't the real reason. Mauriri - David was avoiding him –as usual.

Isabelle could imagine how horrible it was when old acquaintances ignored him. Even Mauriri's wife who used to think David was part of her family never talked to him when they saw each other on the street or in the market or anywhere. She just nodded to Isabelle alone and went on ignoring her husband's former best friend.

Leani Lepau adored her husband very much. And she knew how her beloved husband had been hurt by David Grief! She would never forgive David until Mo forgave him. Isabelle felt so sorry for David. But after all he couldn't avoid his situation forever.

At least some of his friends and acquaintances didn't exclude David. Instead it was him, David who excluded them. He seemed to be avoiding every old friend. And he had talked with his acquaintances only when he had to.

Isabelle had never really believed that David enjoyed her company. She did feel she and David could trust each other. They could laugh together sometimes. But it didn't mean he wanted to be with her. He always missed his ex-partner, Mauriri.

Isabelle asked Mauriri to crew on the Rattler almost every voyage, and he rejected her every time.

She kept offering, just businesslike. She had never pushed hard. Just asked, and got his rejection, then left, and came again the next time.

Since David and Mauriri's partnership had broken up, whenever David came to Lavinia's with her, it was because he didn't have anyone except her. That's what she thought, anyway.

The high spirits she'd felt when she woke up had already gone.


	2. Chapter 2

2-1

Isabelle glanced over through the bar room. Lavinia's girls weren't working this morning except for Clare. The busiest time of the tavern in the morning seemed past some time ago. Clare waved her hand to Isabelle balancing a tray on the other hand. The young English woman's light coloured hair looked brighter when she went along the sunlit terrace. Her healthy suntan was matched with her yellowish long hair. The bar wasn't crowded. And there was no muscular big figure of Mauriri.

She had been almost sure he would be here. But he seemed to be following another schedule this morning. Isabelle knew that Mo often spent late mornings here, doing nothing after his breakfast with his family if he didn't have some daily employment.

"How's the trading business, Isabelle?" Lavinia's elegant dark hand placed a coffee in front of her. She didn't look at Isabelle directly, busying her hands setting bottles and glasses, but Isabelle knew the captain's former lover really wanted to know how the business was going -how the captain was doing.

He hadn't gotten any contracts for them except that troublesome church's cargo since Mauriri had left. Isabelle had had to steel herself for the task; keeping David from drinking and spending what little he had left after he'd lost so much for Jenny. And the finances, of course.

However at some point the tall captain stopped making bitter comments or showing a cynical expression toward his female partner, and he did run the Ratter at least for old contracts which they had still kept despite the incident with Jenny. Isabelle was desperate for those knowing almost of all the new bookings David and Mo had gotten had been cancelled soon after the incident had been found out.

She didn't know why David had suddenly got back his sense of business, at least starting to work hard without liquor, but whatever the reason she welcomed that.

The Rattler's loan and her own stable's were heavy on her slender shoulders. Back then, she had had no extra money. So she simply borrowed again using her stables as collateral. She had been engaged in a touch-and-go situation since then.

Pinon's excellent horses were a godsend. She would be able to breathe for a while when one of geldings was sold at the 'right price' after her good care. She already had her sights on a rich man who would possibly buy it. And she was sure the colts would double in price several months from now. She had time to wait for the right buyers, unlike Pinon who'd had no option except to sell them to the fastest buyer - her.

If they lost the old contracts, -Isabelle knew there was too much 'if' in her life. But she also knew she would just do what she could here and now as always. Life was like that, always up for grabs.

"Isabelle?"

She hadn't realized that she was lost in her thoughts until Clare nudged her.

Both women were looking at her.

"Um, ah, our business is okay. Better, now. David is a bit better now."

2-2

Against the clear blue sky, terns were flying; the sea breeze was still cool and comfortable in this late morning. A regular boat returned to Matavai Bay from her short early morning trip.

David Grief felt his heart was crushed when he saw the big Polynesian get off of the boat under the morning sunshine. Their eyes met for a brief moment. Mauriri passed by the tall captain without words.

He could see David's shock easily enough with only a glance. Unfortunately it didn't make him feel any better. He even felt slight guilty.

_But why should I have such a sense of guilt? David deserves it!_

It was only daily employment. But it didn't matter; Mauriri Lepau was crewing on another boat. And how he hated it. And the worst thing was Mauriri hated himself for it.

And his anger for David increased because of it.

2-3

Looking back on it, it was the failure that made Isabelle feel miserable, especially after she had been treated harshly by David. He had been extremely displeased when she had come to the Rattler with his breakfast which Lavinia made.

He had withdrawn into himself again like the beginning of their partnership. Isabelle had had no clue about his sudden change.

"We are not going to see Winston."

"What?"

"You hear me, we won't go to Winston."

"Why not? It's better to go earlier, and I can't say even today is early enough, David. We need to be sure that we can renew our contract. If you're thinking tomorrow is soon enough -"

"We won't go today, tomorrow or any other time. It's a waste of time."

"-David?"

"He won't renew. He'll never give that contract to us."

"What? What do you mean? David, you haven't told me something?"

"He's Old Harry's cousin."

"Who?"

"Harry Carter," David spat and turned to face her, "one of - 'her' victims, he was strangled. You know, Mo and I found him."

He hadn't said the name Jenny, Isabelle noticed. Isabelle had also heard that Carter was one of Jenny's victims; he had been strangled by Jenny's goons or herself. She was a cold-blooded murderer.

Even though he hadn't wanted to touch the incident, he should have told her earlier, her anger rose quickly, and back of her temper she also felt disappointment which she tried not to admit. He hadn't told her. Hadn't he admitted her as his partner, even if he hadn't said so? They had been almost good together for these past months. She had thought that they could trust each other as partners. Had she been soft to think that she could get his trust so soon? But they had been working together so hard and alone. And there had been some moments she could think they cared for each other.

Why hadn't he told her about Winston? Why was he suddenly harsh at her today?

But Isabelle had seen that pain in his eyes again; she often saw it since their partnership had started. How she wished to relieve that expression of his! Her disappointment was put aside soon as she saw his expression.

"We don't know Winston won't give us the contract yet, David. Besides I haven't heard that anyone got a contract with him recently. If he'd already found a new ship, I'd surely have heard it. We still have a chance."

"You," -David scorned, "haven't heard? And you had never heard about the cousin's feud before. Of course you haven't heard whether Winston's found a new ship or not."

He wasn't being fair to Isabelle. He knew it. Carter and Winston had been estranged for years because of small things. Nobody in Matavai could remember the reason now. In fact David, himself hadn't known about it until Mauriri had told him in some gossip. The cusin's fight had been before David had come to Matavai. New settlers didn't know that they had come to Tahiti together with hope and new brides, and even old settlers had forgotten how good they had been together.

"- David, we have to try. We can't afford to lose any more contracts, you know," Isabelle continued feeling her patience was nearly at an end.

"I said we won't!" With that he had turned back to his task avoiding looking at her.

"Dammit! You, yourself said just now that those two had a fight. I don't see why Winston won't keep the contract because of his cousin then. He'll have to pay extra money to find and hire another ship in such a short time. I'll go to see him with or without you!"

David left for his cabin ignoring her. Isabelle followed him still talking to him angrily.

"I don't care what you think about me, but I always pay attention to trading and ships. And I'm sure Winston hasn't gotten any other ship yet. I'll get the contract while you are rotting here."

No response.

"I can't believe you! You won't even try. Without negotiating you can't get any contracts. You can't get anything!" Isabelle shouted at the hatch where the captain disappeared.

_How dare you! I'm always careful to keep track of other ship's schedules and concentrate on ships which have the possibility to be our competitors!_

So at that, she had just left him and had come to the difficult negotiation by herself. The scar on Winston's chin was the only souvenir that he had not always been a gentle, friendly old man. But before Isabelle had even said hello, he had announced the cancellation of their contract with rude words. Both the fat old man and the slender young woman had known well the reason. His fury which had no place to go had attacked straight at Captain Grief's new partner.

"How on the earth could Grief get involved with that cold bitch! The idiot sold his soul for a pretty face," the old man had cried out in rage. "Beautiful package and evil inside, I bet you aren't any different from her!"

The gentle old man who had never insulted any women in his life in Tahiti had called Isabelle, 'Captain Grief's mistress'. Isabelle hadn't shot back immediately unlike her usual self, even when the angry old man had implied her guilty of the murder of her former French lover.

_You old bastard! I could wring your wrinkled neck, but I need that damn contract. Look at these people. One misstep, and David's heroic reputation is ruined. How many times has David helped others? Only one misstep, then people start to call him a sinner, a loser!_

She gritted her teeth. The old man had kept on insulting David. She had decided before coming to the negotiation, -it seemed not a negotiation but more like begging- that she wouldn't respond in anger if the old man insulted her. And she had been insulted badly.

The new trader's patience had been on the very edge. When she had been about to shoot back, she had seen someone beyond the door frame.

_No, no, no, why does Mo have to be here, now?_

Mauriri, David's former partner and his best friend had been just outside of the room while she had to beg to keep the contract.

"I'll come back later, Mr. Winston."

"No, I'll have nothing to do with you. Tell your man so."

She had gone out hearing the old man's parting insult at her back.

When she had passed him at the door, she hadn't been able to face Mauriri since she had just lost the contract which he and David had kept for many years.

The young slender woman had quickly left the office and ran away from Mauriri's sight.

She had known that Mauriri was working here and there, but not for Winston!

"You don't have time to worry about Mo. You lost the contract! It means you're going to have to cover that loan with your stables' income. Hell!" Her old bad habits had come back! In the beginning of their partnership, lack of conversation with her partner had caused a new habit, grumbling to herself. But when David had started to talk to her, it had gone away. -At least until today.

Now she had to tell David the result.

He had told her that Winston wouldn't give in. She had misjudged Winston's feelings. She had never seen Harry Carter and Winston together even once! She had thought they had a good chance if she told Winston that she could offer him cheaper rates. However the old man obviously wanted to pay extra for a new ship rather than rehire the Rattler. Isabelle knew that Winston's accusation about Jenny and herself -that they were the same was wrong.

_But he is convinced of it_ she thought,_ if it was Mauriri who had gone to negotiate, would Winston have given in?_

On the way to the beach, _tiare_ blossomed and a shop which opened only once a week was open. She could have bought her favorite _monoi_; a coconut oil with wild flower like aromas for women's skin and hair. And she could buy that flavored _monoi_ only at that shop. But Isabelle didn't pay much attention to them and sighed heavily wondering how she would tell this bad news to her sullen partner. When she came to the beach, she didn't jump in the dinghy but just sat there.

_We lost a regular contract again. Is it only because of Jenny's incident or-._

She knew well that there were people who didn't want women in their business. Especially shipping and trading. Also she was a woman who had a past and all Matavai knew it. Would it be different if Mo was with David instead of her?

She had jumped in between the bank and the Rattler. But it seemed she had just delayed the final result –David was going to lose his ship.

Since she had gotten involved, she had made desperate efforts until today even though she hadn't showed it. But had she changed nothing at all?

"Dammit-."

The Rattler looked blurred through her tears.


	3. Chapter 3

3-1

Mauriri found himself thinking about this morning again.

He was surprised a bit by Isabelle. The usually feisty young woman had been polite while old Winston had tormented her with those vile words. And he was surprised by himself, too, when he had felt the urge to protest for her.

He had just happened to be a witness when he had gone to pick up his pay.

Isabelle was a beautiful woman. Traditionally there was no place for women in a warehouse. She looked out-of-place there. Isabelle was a tall woman. But in that office she had looked tiny and so young. Her usual high spirit gave her a place in this 'man's world' in spite of her looks. However, that spirit had gone deep down somewhere in her this morning. Her sincere profile at Winston's office and David's hurt expression this morning hadn't left him all day.

_But at least David deserves it. Why was Isabelle alone? Why did David let her deal with Winston alone?_

His rage for David returned quickly. The rage engulfed him; he wouldn't give David any second chances.

_Second chances. –That's what Isabelle called it._

"_You gave me a second chance, Mauriri, even though you disliked me. Then why can't you give your best friend the same chance?"_

Isabelle's voice echoed in his mind. She had come to convince him before her first voyage of the Rattler as David's partner.

"_No, Isabelle, I 'm not ready for it yet. And I don't know if I'll ever be. Besides it's a completely different thing. He was my best friend. I trusted him. He betrayed me! You don't know how it hurts when your friend betrays you, Isabelle."_

"_Sometimes, Mo, people can forgive someone's betrayal, I'm sure of it."_

That was the only time she had shown her compassion for David for the past months.

_Of course, she knew how it felt to be hurt._

When she had said it, he hadn't remembered the betrayal over the governor's dinner several months ago. Actually, it had been David who had planned it. But Mauriri himself had taken part in it as well. Maybe all of her friends had, except Colin who had been made to promise not to tell Isabelle without knowing the young captain's intention.

Isabelle had tasted the bitterness of the betrayal of her friends back then.

Of course she had accused David. But she had never accused the rest of them.

_On the contrary, she saved my life._

Had he ever been ashamed of his betrayal or apologized to her?

He had thanked her for saving his life. And his wife took it very seriously. Leani had never forgotten that it was Isabelle Reed who had saved her husband. But that had been about all.

He hadn't even thought about that part of the incident until today. That part had been so small within him compared to their shipwreck on Colin's birthday. How could he have let things go without apologizing to her? Was he such an ungrateful man?

He felt the need to clear his mind and dived into his beloved water.

3-2

He stopped and sighed. After the quick swim, his large body was still a bit wet even after a short walk under the strong sunshine. Somehow he often came to the bay when he walked without purpose. He hadn't expected to see her here and now.

_Damn, that strange connection might not only between David and Isabelle, but with me, too?_

Mauriri's feeling was still heavy but calm after a quick swim and the soothing feeling of water on his skin.

She hadn't noticed that the big Polynesian, his white shirt in his hand, was coming toward her in his bare feet. "Isabelle."

She winced at the familiar calm voice. He wasn't the person whom she wanted to see most right now.

"Mo."

To her surprise, the dark, tall, big man sat next to her. They both didn't say a word for a good ten seconds.

Mauriri glanced at her delicate profile. He couldn't see her pain there she must have. Her expression showed only her stubbornness. But he thought that he had seen solitude and anxiety in a flush moment before she had noticed his presence.

Isabelle was always beautiful, and it had made him more suspicious of her. She had used her charm to manipulate men including David, he believed. Her beauty had been one of the main things the Polynesian had been irritated with.

Funny. He always loved beautiful things; the sea, women, children, and nature.

"Isabelle. I'm sorry about that contract. I-"

"Don't! Don't tell me what I should have done, please! I know I totally botched it," Isabelle cut him off immediately. She didn't look at him. She was too embarrassed.

"If I had been in your place, the result would have been the same. Winston wouldn't have given us a contract."

Isabelle turned and faced to David's former partner.

"-You really think so?"

"Yeah."

"I hadn't even known they were cousins until David told me." Isabelle confessed.

"Hardly anyone in Matavai remembers it now."

"Were they close?"

"Yes, when they first came to Tahiti from Australia. But they had a fight. I can't remember the reason anymore."

Isabelle breathed deeply. Somehow Mo's words eased her a little.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"-I, to tell the truth, I didn't want to tell David what happened. We argued before I went to see Winston. He said Winston wouldn't give us the contract. But I thought-, well, I was wrong. So I was hanging around here. I think I can tell him now."

She saw Mauriri's tender expression changed to a bitter one.

"Always David. He's gotten people in trouble all along, hasn't he? Why should you care about his reaction? This is his fault in the first place! Not yours!"

"No, Mo, that's not true."

"Yes! You know it's true!"

Isabelle's large silver eyes showed determination, pain, and patience for -whom? For David? Or for him? Or for herself?

"I know he didn't do it on purpose. He's suffered enough. Don't you think David suffered very much?"

"I, -I do know he's suffered. But-, damn it! I, we-,"

_What do I want to tell her? I've suffered enough, too! So much that I don't want to forgive him?_

Mauriri stammered as her gaze held his eyes.

"You know David's always helped others. And this is just bad luck for all of us. David just helped the wrong person."

"How generous you can be. We all kept telling him Jenny's wrong. And look whom he chose."

"Why can't you forgive him? He's your best friend."

"That's why," he spat.

Isabelle sighed.

"-Mo, he can't bypass a woman who needs help. And he will always try to help like he helped me."

_The girl in his past makes him so._

"I don't want to talk about David, Isabelle. You said you were going to tell David, so go."

"Ha! Fine." Isabelle stood and got into the dinghy.

_Oh, they both really can be so stubborn_.

Mauriri pushed the dinghy off the shore for her.

"Mo," Isabelle shouted from the floating dinghy. "He's still the same man! An arrogant ass! A stupid, good man! And you know it!"

Mauriri watched Isabelle row until she reached the Rattler.


	4. Chapter 4

4

David wanted to hit himself immediately after his harsh response had left his mouth.

_I did it again!_

Recently, he realized that he often took out his anger on Isabelle. Not to other women, but to Isabelle Reed he had a tendency to show his upset and knowing that made him even angrier.

He had never been like that with other women, not with Lavinia, of course. When he was with other women, he could cover a part of his soul or something like that. But with Isabelle…

It probably had looked so easy to her to catch him.

He had been careful not to be caught. He had never wanted to hear his father say that he knew his son would fell for a pretty face and it would be his downfall.

He had liked Isabelle, but he had thought she might be able to manipulate him with her charm. And he would regret it when it happened. He had feared it.

Even though he had been wary, he had often found himself teasing her without thinking. He had made himself close to her. It had been felt so natural. He hadn't even thought about it back then.

When he had found that, he had treated Isabelle with harsh words or used rough behavior to punish Isabelle -punish her for charming him.

He had been so stupid! And he was stupid still.

He had really felt badly for Isabelle. He would do something to make it up to her.

_Otherwise what may come from that woman? _He shook his head, remembered the voyage she had destroyed almost all his shirts for her revenge.

He touched his shirt sleeve lightly. The fine linen felt very comfortable on his bare skin. Isabelle had given him this red shirt a few days after her mischief. He wondered how she had managed to find such good material in that short a time.

_Could that woman manage anything, always?_

He hadn't wanted anyone near him after Jenny.

He had tried to make Isabelle regret being his partner. He had given her a lot of hard physical work on the Rattler. He hadn't talked to her for days during a voyage to make her feel uncomfortable.

She had shrugged off all of that and gone on.

He hadn't been able to make her leave the Rattler, - leave him alone, even just before the end of Jenny.

David could recall a strangely clear image of Isabelle's face the time she had come to him when he had just been about to search for Jenny. She had jumped in his dinghy like a curious and spirited young cat which was bored and looking for a new adventure. She had acted almost amused. But her eyes, her large green eyes had had some expression, he couldn't say what, but very pure. And he had allowed her to come with him.

Isabelle's slender back, her strong and womanly hands, that open laughter. David often found himself thinking about her these past months.

A year ago, he had been irritated by her charm. He hadn't wanted to get involved with her.

His faint smile faded remembering he'd let her go to see Winston alone. He didn't think the old man would allow them to keep the contract. And it was all his fault. He had decided to go to Winston alone before. But he had put it off day after day, avoiding Winston's accusations and most of all hearing the name of - that woman.

_Coward._

Now, Isabelle might pay for his cowardice -alone.


	5. Chapter 5

5-1

How it had caught his attention he didn't know. When David was pulling his boat up on shore to pick up Tah-Mey to help him with repairs, something shone in the shallow water.

He reached for it between the smooth rocks, wasn't sure if he caught some interesting thing or just a chunk of broken glass.

Just when he straightened up empty-handed, it shone brightly again in the water. Quickly David bent to pick it up.

"What is it?" asked Tah-Mey who was coming by the boat without waiting for his captain's orders.

David paused for a moment before answered him.

"A piece of glass."

It was green glass, perhaps part of a broken wine bottle. It might have been in the water for months or years. It felt like a stone, not glass. And the shape was odd.

Its shape was like a horse head with a rich mane. The image of Isabelle on horseback floated in his thoughts. David closed his eyes tasting the ache in his heart a second.

He put it in his trousers' pocket.

Tah-Mey had finished putting their goods on the boat already and was waiting for his captain.

5-2

She had to brace herself when she came back to the Rattler to tell David the results of her meeting with Winston. David would say 'I told you so'.

She had done all she could do. Thanks to Mo- he had pushed her back.

Tah-Mey helped her on board. He tilted his dark head toward the helm. She could see the bright red colour of David's shirt. The tall captain looked like he was busy with the repair of the boat. Isabelle looked back the native sailor but he had already gone back to his task, and she only saw Tah's lean shadow.

He didn't show any interest in her visit. –Or at least he acted like it.

_Okay here we go, I'm going to make you mad, -again._

"David, there is something I have to tell you."

His expression wasn't irritated or angry as she interrupted his maintenance of the Rattler.

But she was very sure it would go back quickly into a bad mood from now on. She didn't like when the young handsome captain tried to hurt her on purpose by saying something spiteful. He could hurt her with his tongue. And he had done it often.

Isabelle inhaled before starting to explain.

"David, we lost Winston's contract. I thought still there would be a chance to convince him. I was wrong. I know that contract was important, that it was one the Rattler had had for long time. But I promise, I'll find a new one." she said in one breath and waited for his harsh retort.

"It's okay, Isabelle."

His voice was calm and sounded only slightly pained.

Then suddenly they both couldn't find anything to say. She again looked down at her toes, not wanting to show her embarrassment, not wanting to see his pain.

_I might have given him the slightest hope, then I let him down. I hurt him by confirming how much Winston hated him. David can't even be angry with me._

If he said 'I told you so', she would be able to shoot back. She would be angry with David. But this only made her disheartened.

David Grief wasn't used to confessing what he was feeling. Mauriri had never asked questions that his partner didn't want to answer. Mauriri had usually known what his partner was thinking.

Isabelle surely looked as if she didn't understand what he was feeling right now. If he wanted to keep this rare partner, he had to say it to her and beg her forgiveness 'now'.

"Isabelle."

She still didn't look at him.

"Isabelle, it's not your fault. It's mine. He has a grudge against me. And I am sorry for this morning. I felt miserable and I took it out on you."

Isabelle surprised at his sheepish voice, looked up at him.

"Forgive me?"

His eyes were sad and nervous.

_David's saying he's sorry. He's never apologized to me before._

She felt as if his sadness streamed down into her body.

They stared into each other's eyes and smiled weakly.

_Oh David, someday, all will go well, again. Mo will forgive you. The Rattler will be all yours again._

"We need to be patient, David. But you know you can start anew. I'm a living proof," she said smiling a brief smile.

Her voice was warm and gentle, filled with compassion unlike usual. She had never spoken to him like this, she'd never shown her compassion. Today was the only exception so far.

And, for the first time, David wondered about her long way to come here. He had never thought how much she had changed her life until now.

"I will work hard," he stated at last.

They were simple words, almost childish, but they both knew it was something they needed to hear now. It was something that made their bond sure.

"Of course, you have to buy me out." Isabelle laughed sarcastically.

"Of course, I'll pay it back- all of it."

"We'll see."

5-3

They worked for two hours without another conversation.

David realized from the lengthening shadows that it was time Isabelle needed to leave for her stables. He was about to call her and looked up. The main mast almost concealed her slender figure and he only could see a glimpse of her white blouse, her reddish curls shifting with the sea breeze, and her hands that were working on the canvas.

David watched her hands as she worked. They were strong, capable, and still very feminine.

They were suntanned and he knew they had some calluses from hard work on the Rattler and in her stables. Her long, strong fingers were skillful and looked suited for outdoor work but still elegant at the same time.

There had been a time those hands had tried to massage his shoulders, there had been a time that hand had brushed his chest.

He felt his body's sudden stir.

Even though he caught sight of Tah-Mey ready to lower the dinghy at the corner of his view, he still looked only at her hands.

"Isabelle, time for you to leave, I suppose."

"Oh, I didn't realize."

"-Isabelle."

"Yes?"

"Do you want to go on a little picnic tomorrow?"

Isabelle looked at him in total surprise. David, himself was surprised by his own words, too.

"We'll leave before noon. Come to the Rattler."

"We're talking about how we're going to work hard, and now you're suggesting a picnic?" she quipped.

"I know I did. However I think we could use a nice break after all our hard work."

Her eyes were now ocean blue and twinkling.

"We'll go for only one or two hours. It won't hurt."

"I think I give in. I'll bring lunch."

He enjoyed that big sunny smile on her lovely face as she got into dinghy to leave until he spotted the small sailing ship in the harbor. That boat that Mauriri got off of this morning…

It was too much to ask Mauriri to forgive him, he knew that.

How could one's feelings move so swiftly from at ease to the depths?

He looked up at the sky. It was so blue


	6. Chapter 6

6

Only a few people greeted him and some people pretended not to see him when the tall captain came ashore and walked along the beach aimlessly. He kept walking.

A little farther from the village, it was so quiet and there was no one around. Parents forbade their children to swim at this cove since the tide could become wild at times. And it was an uninhabited area. Only sometimes little adventurers secretly played on the shore.

David had heard that Leani had told her intrepid son that there was a sea creature deep below the water that dragged children down to eat when she had found her son had joined two older boys to swim in the cove once. David had almost laughed but when Mo had raised his eyebrow at him, he had made his face solemn. David turned his memory quickly before it went further. He looked up the sky. Breathed in deep the fresh air.

There were bushes of tropical flowers here and there. David snapped a branch with red flowers; he didn't know its name.

There was still more than an hour until Isabelle would come. The boat on which Mo had crewed sat next to the Malahini in the dock. At least from here he didn't have to look at that boat.

David looked down the branch in his hand. Would Isabelle appreciate it if he picked some flowers for her? He took a few more.

Since being fully grown up, he couldn't remember if he had ever picked flowers for someone. Even for Lavinia. He had sometimes got small pretty things for her at some port cities on a whim. But picking flowers-.

_If Mo saw me like this, he'd laugh so hard. And he'd start to tell me-,_ David sighed.

Why couldn't he stop thinking about Mo for a while? Mo would never come back no matter how much David wished it.

Caught up in his thoughts, he came too far without realizing. He had to go back now otherwise he would make Isabelle wait a little while.

"David? Oh, David! Please help!"

A thin little agile boy rushed to him.

"Tevaki?"

David held Mauriri's small boy in his strong arms to calm him down. What a familiar and a longed for touch! He had held and carried this boy on his shoulders a hundred times.

"Tevaki, it's all right. I'm with you. Tell me what happened to you?"

"No David, not me! It's Sun! We were only playing explorers. We only wanted to know what is sunk down there. But when I surfaced, I couldn't find Sun! The creature took him!" Tevaki cried out.

His thin small body was shaking in David's arms.

"Tevaki, calm down. You must calm down. Take me to where you two were swimming."

David knew Sun, too. He had seen Mauriri's son playing with the older boy, half Chinese, half French Polynesian many times. Both boys were small but swam like fish.

_Sun had drowned?_

Only a few minutes later David was searching the water where Tevaki indicated his friend had disappeared.

He dived for the missing boy again and again.

His lungs burned for air, and his heart was racing.

The fourth time just when he surfaced he saw something white on a nearby boulder. Then he realized it was a child's face just above the water. The rest of his body was submerged. The small boy desperately fought to keep his head above the waves. He clutched some lumps of the boulder. His small hands gave way and his body started to sink.

With strong strokes David soon reached the boy and scooped him up. However, he couldn't pull the boy off of the boulder. Something in the water was catching the boy's lower body.

David's lungs nearly burned up, but he had no choice. He pushed the boy's body up and made him hold on a bit higher against the boulder.

"Hold on, Sun! I promise I'll help you out soon."

The boy's dark eyes looked at him with fear and desperation but his lips were blue and he spoke no word.

David breathed deep and dived again.

The boy's legs were tangled with some strings. They seemed to be pieces of frayed rope. The main part of the rope disappeared into the deep water. David couldn't see where the rope's end was.

He'd been underwater too long. His hands were numb and worked clumsily.

During the time it took to pull his knife from his pants pocket and cut the strings, his consciousness became blurred. Only the thought that the boy's life could only be saved by him alone kept David from blacking out.

During the rescue, Tevaki had had the hardest time in his very young life. He had never been frightened like this before. The small boy couldn't decide which was better, to run to the village for help or stay with his friend and Uncle David. He wished his father was here with him. His father was a great man; he would know what to do.

But then he realized that Uncle David was a great man like his father. He had to be strong as his father and Uncle David. He had to go to village alone.

Tevaki started to run as quickly as a little boy could.

David couldn't remember how he carried the boy to shore. Tevaki wasn't there. David realized Mo's son must have gone to get help alone.

_Little Tevaki-. I'm proud of you._

The boy was crying aloud now. Beside him, David collapsed at full length, drained and pale, murmuring to the boy "Sun, Calm down, it's all right. It's all right. Tevaki'll be back with help soon. I need a little rest now, okay? It's all right. It's all right."

_Isabelle. I will stand her up! I never meant to this time. Isabelle, I never meant to this time._


	7. Chapter 7

7-1

The villagers had taken the two boys back with them. Contrary to the boy's fear, they hadn't been scolded much. None of them included Sun's mother had bawled them out. Sun's mother had hugged Sun almost weeping. She had invited David to rest in their home but he had refused and had left.

Before he had left, his large hand had touched Tevaki's thin shoulder for a moment.

He hadn't heard the name Uncle David among his family for long time. His great father hadnever said to not speak of him. But he had felt it forbidden. After that he hadn't seen the familiar tall figure in his family's home and his father hadn't gone out on the Rattler.

His mother had told him when he asked about Uncle David, that David was forbidden to come to their home because he wasn't the same man they knew anymore. He couldn't understand what was going on. But soon he had realized that not only his family but many village people had changed. They didn't like Uncle David anymore.

He had been able to ask his older sister. And could hear her to say that she missed Uncle David, but maybe it wasn't good because that kind, gentle, strong and happy man had betrayed their father because of a very bad woman, at least so she heard in the village. Even though she wanted to say hello to David when she happened to see him around, she just drooped her head to not see him and passed him. She had said that she had been so sad to do that and ashamed herself.

After a Sun's neighbor had taken Tevaki to his home; he had wanted Uncle David to take him home, but David said he must go with the man. And David had left by himself without anyone's help.

Soon he was sent to his bed by his worried mother. He hated to admit that he was exhausted by the big experience. His father wasn't home.

Tevaki decided before he fell into a deep sleep that he would tell his father about Uncle David.

Uncle David hadn't changed a bit. The little boy was sure.

7-2

It was almost two o' clock and he knew Isabelle had to go back for her horses, even if she had come to the Rattler. David didn't think that Isabelle would be waiting for him ignoring her horses. So he went straight to her stables.

Isabelle was busy.

She said nothing. Just walked right by him carrying two buckets filled with water.

"Isabelle, I had a reason."

"I wasn't surprised when you didn't come."

"What do you mean?"

"You've showed me often enough the past months what you think about me."

_You don't treat me like you do your other friends._

It wasn't fair for David considering how they had worked together for these last few months. Truth be told, she had become used to David treating her like a real friend these days. It made Isabelle expect more from David than she once had. Now suddenly she found their relationship hadn't changed as much as she had thought.

David hadn't come. But was that unusual? -No.

"I really intended to come back!"

"Oh, really?" She made sure her eyes didn't show her disappointment.

Why should she fall for the same trick? Hadn't he done this before? Many times! Why hadn't she remembered the last time he'd invited her to a picnic? He had only needed someone to watch while he had been diving back then. This time wasn't any different.

_You really are an idiot , Isabelle Reed._

"We'll do it tomorrow, Isabelle! I promise."

"You don't need to, David, really," she said lightly. "Anyway, I'll be busy tomorrow. I won't have much time till evening."

"We can have dinner tonight. At seven, at Lavinia's."

"I'm not sure if I want to go."

"I'll wait at Lavinia's."

"You never go to Lavinia's alone, David. I'll make a fool of myself again waiting for you."

Isabelle felt David stiffen. But she didn't feel like giving in to him now.

"I'll come. I'll be waiting for you, Isabelle."

She poured water into the trough for her horses. She left to saddle Dante pushing past David.

David wanted to help her saddle up but knew well she would brush him off.

He needed to explain to her. But he couldn't tell her why he hadn't waited for her on the Rattler in the first place. No he couldn't tell her that he couldn't bear to look at the boat that Mauriri had been working on. He couldn't say how much he missed Mo.

Before he could explain what had happened, she mounted Dante and started to leave.

"Isabelle! Wait!"

Isabelle heard David call at her back that he'd come before she passed the gate. She wanted to hit herself when she pulled her horse to a stop and looked back for him.

_Why can't I ignore this man?_

David reached the gate breathless. He was about to say something, but again closed his mouth.

Isabelle sighed and started again. Then the tall captain called her name.

"Isabelle, catch!"

She looked back and saw David toss something.

The green object twinkled in the air and she caught it in one hand and felt its smoothness and hardness in her palm.

Isabelle opened her palm and found a dark green object.

David called out," It's a horse head."

She looked down at her tall partner with a questioning gaze.

Captain Grief grinned at her.

She looked at the green glass in her palm again. It was shaped like a horse head, a very strange horse head. Its neck was too short. It had no eyes. But definitely it had a mane and a smooth long nose. The waves had created such a strange thing. The slender woman slipped it into her shirt's pocket smiling involuntarily.

"At least you brought me a souvenir, David."

How sure she had been in her earlier time in Matavai that Captain Grief and she would be good together. At very beginning of her life, Isabelle had learned that people couldn't get everything they wanted -some people could get little. However she had a good head and spirit. So she could always try hard for what her heart desired. But when she couldn't get it, she would let it go finally, and go on to something new.

She had always done so.

She already didn't believe that the young captain and she would have a future together as a man and a woman. He had rejected her so often.

David Grief.

Isabelle wanted to be by David, and didn't know how to let it go. She knew many men. But this feeling was so new for her. He was different. It was so hard to ignore him, she thought as she urged Dante into a gallop.


	8. Chapter 8

8-1

People parted to the sides when several soldiers ran through the marketplace chasing a dirty huge man. He knocked a seaman into the air by his force and was running through the market like a mad bull.

Vegetables and fruits scattered, vendors yelled. The chase made a small chaos in the local market place.

The dark slender woman pulled a small boy who got separated from his mother to protect him, and failed to notice when the dirty man slipped an envelope into her basket.

But a soldier saw.

An explosion rang out. Then people scattering all around. The street vendors lay under their stalls. The runaway slowly fell down onto the dusty ground.

The soldiers ran over and checked the man. Two soldiers pushed past the woman mumbling about how their boss would rake them over the coals. The woman thought about Lieutenant Morlais. She knew these soldiers had come here to escort the convicts some time ago and were still new here. They would have to endure Morlais's long reprimand maybe because they couldn't catch the runaway alive she guessed.

One of the two soldiers looked back at her, she could tell. It was too familiar a gaze to her to mind about. She took the small boy and walked away to where his mother might be.

In the tavern Lavinia put the basket full of fruits and vegetables on the counter table. And one of Lavinia's girls took it to the storeroom. Nobody saw that an envelope fluttered away from the bottom of a mango when the girl took the contents from the basket. The envelope slipped onto the sleek wooden floor and stopped under the colourful rug which its hem became flimsy in places.

8-2

Isabelle reached Lavinia's counter fingering the glass in her pocket. Soon Clare Devon came to her with her warm smile.

"I haven't had lunch, Clare."

"You haven't yet? So you're lucky. We have taros with coconut milk and pancake today, made by Lavinia, of course."

Both women laughed. They both knew Clare would never be able to cook such a meal; the young British woman was a terrible cook.

"Then hurry, I'm starving."

Clare didn't come back to Isabelle right away but went to the lieutenant's table.

"How long will it take to print your next paper?"

"I can't say before I take a look your information and the montages, Lieutenant."

Lieutenant Morlais cocked his dark head at a tall soldier whom Clare had never seen before the first time.

"Paul."

The soldier's face had an oriental air even though his colouring was European. Maybe it was his slanted eyes. They gave him an exotic look. He wasn't a handsome man but an attractive man. He looked sophisticated and intelligent unlike other soldiers in Matavai. If he wasn't wearing that uniform, he might look like an officer or successful businessman.

He took papers from his briefcase to hand them over to Clare. She quickly examined them and exchanged a few quick words with the lieutenant before she went back to her starving friend.

The soldier, Paul Odier was listening to them without joining and he nodded at Clare politely when she left.

"Beer, Isabelle?" Lavinia called from over her counter.

The horsewoman looked at Lavinia with a little surprise when the bar owner placed a glass in front of her.

"Are you going somewhere, Lavinia?"

The spicy sent of Lavinia's homemade _monoi_ drifted around Isabelle when the tavern owner came closer. The woman wore a bright red sarong and a pair of big pearls. The soft glow like morning dew of the large pearls became Lavinia's smooth coffee skin. They might impress any man, then they would guide his eye along that elegant line from the pearls on her ears to her slender neck.

All of Lavinia's friends knew the pearls were a gift from David when he and Mauriri had found the small island that had such a large potential with pearls.

"I'm invited for my friend's birthday tonight."

Isabelle stared at the bar owner's slender back as she was making a drink. The afternoon light looked dimmer where Lavinia was, especially for Isabelle's eyes that were used to the brightness outside.

She stared at her beer glass. Then she felt the smoothness of the dark green glass with her fingertips in her shirt's pocket. Perhaps she was elated too much for just a piece of glass. It was only a bit of junk David had picked up accidentally.

_He didn't think of me, of course._

"Did you know Harry Carter?"

The bar owner half looked back toward Isabelle, and Isabelle saw the large pearls on the owners dark ears again.

"Carter?"

"Harry Carter."

"That's the man who was murdered by Jenny, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"He wasn't a regular here, he didn't drink much. But I can remember his face. Why are you asking?"

"Do you know his cousin?"

"He had a cousin here?"

"Yes. There's his cousin in Matavai."

"-Oh, yes. It's Old Winston! I remember."

"So you know they were cousins."

"Of course. I'm a native. But I'm sure new settlers don't know. It's ancient story. Myself, I didn't remember they were cousins until you asked. Isabelle?"

Lavinia had no idea what this conversation meant. Isabelle didn't look happy. She could get more from the young horsewoman if a costumer hadn't called for her to his drink.

Quickly gulping her drink, Isabelle started to leave not wanting to look at Lavinia's pearls now. _I really a fool._

"Isabelle? Don't you want to have lunch?"

Isabelle stopped and again resettled herself nodding in answer to Clare's voice.

_Why am I disappointed like this? What's wrong with me?_

"Lavinia looks beautiful with those pearls, doesn't she?" Clare brought her lunch and cheerfully started to chat.

"Yes, she does." Isabelle heard her own calm voice. She knew that she was upset by a sudden strong emotion. She thanked herself to be able to hide her feelings well.

"You said you'll be leaving work earlier today for your printing, didn't you?"

"Oh, yes, yes. I'm going to leave in half an hour. I also just heard Morlais's news. It's very new! Front page material!"

Isabelle looked around the bar for the first time since she had come in.

She hadn't noticed Lieutenant Morlais and his men there. Some of the soldiers seemed new to her. Isabelle was annoyed with herself that she had been taken so much with Lavinia's pearls to not notice that Morlais was there.

The lieutenant nodded slightly at her. She nodded back.

Somehow at some point the lieutenant had stopped trying to catch her red-handed in some crime.

She wasn't sure if it was because he knew she wouldn't do anything illegal anymore, at least not much. Or maybe he had just been busy with wild newcomers.

Sensing someone watching her, her gaze shifted to the near corner.

There was a sailor. She could tell he was new here. If she had met the man before, she'd have recognized him. The sailor was good looking but something in her told her that he wasn't as good as he looked. Ragged like the others but the man's eye colour was very pale. She couldn't say if it was green, blue, or gray because it was so pale - too pale against his suntanned skin. And those deep-set eyes were staring boldly at her with blunt interest. Their eyes met. Cunning and cold, that was the impression Isabelle got and she felt the man wasn't as relaxed as he seemed. There was a tension around him. Isabelle looked at Morlais, but he didn't pay attention to the man or to her either.

She turned back to her younger friend coolly ignoring him.

Clare caught the whole act and was smiling meaningfully at Isabelle. She smirked back.

Isabelle liked Clare's girlish plainness like this. Even though she knew it irritated Lavinia sometimes when it was misunderstood. That girlishness was in good contrast to her serious opinions of her column in her paper as much as good contrast of her peculiar shrewdness that any woman has naturally; like she had told about that Jenny's past to Isabelle instead telling David directly to avoid getting his reaction by herself.

"Are you going to share the news or should I wait for your next paper?"

"You know I'm going to share with you," Clare laughed. Then she made a face and whispered, "Have you heard about the missing boat?"

"What boat? I haven't heard about any boat missing recently."

"It'sthe Charles V! It has been missing for a week."

"I'm surprised how long they could hide such an incident from people. What was the cargo?"

Clare came closer to her friend.

"It's-", she held a breath. Isabelle knew Clare wanted to enjoy her surprised expression, and waited, "-guns."

Isabelle's large eyes became larger and her mouth made a small O. Clare was very satisfied with the effect of her news.

"Okay, I admit you surprised me," Isabelle chuckled.

"Oh, but Isabelle there is more. Lieutenant Morlais wants to put an advertisement - 'WANTED' – with a reward offered - in my paper. He believed the boat was pirated by escaped convicts."

"I'm starting to see, Clare."

"Well, so you knew about the convicts."

"I heard a rumor that Morlais and his troops got five new convicts in last week, but it was supposed to have been nine."

"The rumor is true. Four convicts escaped on the way to Matavai and got away. And Lt. Morlais believes the convicts are responsible for the Government boat being missing. But the governor wanted to get back the cargo secretly and had worked on it for a week. And the worst thing is, the new convicts got away from Morlais's jail!"

"Ha-ha, poor Morlais. -How many?"

"All! Isabelle, all five convicts, escaped. And nobody knows how."

"And now?"

"They don't think they can do it all by themselves. So they decided to advertise about the boat and pirates. They gave up their pride at last."

"But how do they know about the cargo?"

"Isabelle, now get ready to be surprised once more."

"Come on, Clare, we don't have much time, you can't chat like this all your working time."

Clare glanced at Lavinia who was at the counter and making drinks but always knowing very well what was going on in her bar.

"The former Governor's secretary is one of the convicts who escaped on the way to Matavai "

Isabelle raised her elegant eyebrow.

"-and he was involved with smuggling. He leaked information about many important cargos to a group of pirates for three years until being found and arrested. They haven't been caught yet. And the Government's cargo is missing. He 's the one who knew when and where the ship would sail." Clare told in a whisper in one breath.

Isabelle rolled her eyes and snorted.

"In the first place, how did they escape? I was in a prison ship; I don't think any prisoners could escape from one. They must be the most incompetent soldiers.

Clare was startled by her friend's comment that she knew a prison boat – of course she knew.

"I can't believe it. His prisoners escaped and pirated a Governors' ship, and he hid it until today. As for the four escapees, it happened before he got in, so at least Lieutenant Morlais wasn't at fault, so he's saying. " Clare's voice was full of accusation.

"And of course, he's responsible for them breaking jail," Isabelle replied.

The young reporter continued in a whisper, "Today, at the market they couldn't capture one of them and shot him at last. The convict died there. He was so huge and strong, nobody could stop him. I heard it from Lavinia. She happened to be there! Anyway I'm going to print it today. The Lieutenant can't say he's not at fault this time."

Isabelle glanced over at the lieutenant, then at the newcomer. He was still glancing at her.

Isabelle could see the man was handsome.

_But not as handsome as David Grief_, she thought.

"Do you want to look?"

It took a second for the distracted horsewoman to get what Clare meant.

Clare checked the lieutenant who was talking with a rich trader from Papeete, then quickly opened some papers for Isabelle.

"These are prison breakers. There, this is the former secretary."

Clare pointed at the paper. Isabelle took the posters from Clare but only glanced at the top one of the stack. An ugly man; a stout square face, narrow slanted eyes like knives – a vicious face.

If she could find those men, she could make some quick cash. The reward money would solve her problems for a short while. It would make up for the loss of Winston's contract a bit. There was no such luck, of course.

Clare was waiting for what Isabelle would say. She hoped secretly that her friend would be interested in the incident. She was almost sure that the lieutenant hadn't told her everything yet. The truth was she didn't want to search alone. It would be scary to search for the criminals by herself. On the other hand she felt a need to find the truth. And if Isabelle would do it with her, she wanted to find out the truth and if possible, identify the criminals too.

And the reward money would give her friend a comfort. Clare was sure that Jack and she were only two people who knew where the feisty, worldly, young horsewoman had gotten the money for the Rattler.

Months ago Jack had accidentally overheard two customers of Lavinia's, bankers from the mainland talking about Isabelle's new loan even though she had been near paying off her old loan which would have meant Isabelle's stables would become really hers. Jack had told Clare that it was like he was invisible, people didn't care what they were saying around him because he was nothing to them, he didn't exist to them. He was just something which always was in Lavinia's – like a chair – and Clare had been a bit shocked by his comment. Jack had told her all these things in an even tone. And he had seemed to think that it was a very ordinary thing. Shocked she was but also surprised, by how much he knew about the many small secrets and gossip of Matavai people, and people didn't even realize it

Jack had only talked about the bankers to Clare. Then soon after that she had heard that the Rattler wouldn't be taken by the bank because of Isabelle. Isabelle had paid for the Rattler and had become David's new partner.

Clare hadn't told anyone about Isabelle's debt for the Rattler. It seemed that people believed that Isabelle just had had extra money for a new business. Clare, herself would have believed it if she hadn't heard from Jack. She wasn't sure of the Isabelle's real reasons. Her friend didn't behave like she had feelings for the handsome captain. Or maybe it might be to repay David for his help? It was David and Mauriri who had helped her out from the false charge of murder.

But would she take on a large debt just for that? She knew the stables were the most important things for her friend. And the only thing which she could use for a loan was her stables.

Clare had come to know Isabelle's other face which others rarely saw. Her friend was a bold woman, and she had seen a lot in her life.. But also Clare knew now, the bold woman had a soft and sweet side, too. So Clare had decided that she didn't want to disturb or embarrass her friend by asking her true feelings for the man.

It was Isabelle who had been the only one to understand how embarrassed Clare was to be wearing only underwear when they had to swim for shore after the Rattler wrecked on a reef on Colin's birthday. Actually Isabelle had dived down to the reef to retrieve her skirt at that time.

And she knew her friend's gentle, sensitive heart while she had been taught to ride by her friend: Isabelle had been amazingly patient with her new and only student. Clare was a witness that Isabelle never got irritated with her horses. She'd been careful and gentle to them, yet strict at the same time.

However it wouldn't be true if Clare said that she wasn't interested in Isabelle's true feelings. Clare was curious enough about how her friend felt about the handsome captain. Had Isabelle risked her precious stables to save David?

_Would I risk the Matavai Messenger for someone?_ Jack's smiling face appeared in her daydream and she blinked twice, and concentrated on her friend who was asking her a question.

"Whoever finds these criminals, he or she'll get a nice chunk of cash, won't he?"

"Yes. Do you want to try, Isabelle?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't have time." Her answer was quick and plain.

Clare didn't show her disappointment, but gave her friend one more piece of news which had a possibility she could get involved and get some money.

"You said you've not heard of any missing boat recently. Actually there is a passenger boat which left Matavai this morning. She should have arrived Papeete several hours ago. Morlais's worried that the convicts have done something to it. There are some passengers from a very wealthy family who will offer a reward to find the boat. The passengers who would get onboard from Papeete are kept waiting by her yet for now, so I've heard, Isabelle."

'_Bebelle!'_ The young couple's figures on the deck of that ship was recalled in Isabell's mind. The young man had looked fresh and rich. There was nothing alike between him and Marcel, but-

For a second she thought about the search for the boat. She shook her dark head slightly.

"I don't think that the Rattler has time to look for the missing boat. We don't have much of a crew. Honestly we aren't too busy with many contracts, but we're too shorthanded now. – And I don't think the passenger ship was pirated. A few hours delay isn't rare. It's too near to be missed between here to Papeete, you know. Some cargo boat will see her sooner or later."

Isabelle didn't like the idea that that boat might have been pirated or wrecked. She hoped that Pinon's family and that young couple would have a safe journey. She had gotten a big advantage by Pinon's misfortune. But if Pinon had more misfortune now, she wouldn't feel very good. Also she hadn't had any exciting adventures for awhile, but had been busily occupied with looking for some contracts, even very small ones for the Rattler, and with her stable's domestic chores. She would be glad for some change.

_No, not now. I need to stay and look for contracts until the situation becomes better._

She couldn't imagine how long it would take, and sighed involuntarily.

Clare thought her friend's irritation was because she wouldn't go to the adventure and get the chance for the reward.

"Well, maybe the boat wasn't missing; maybe it was just delayed."

"Morlais is getting nervous. That's all."

During their chat, time went by quickly. It wasn't much longer before Clare finished her work at Lavinia's. She was a bit disappointed when Isabelle left without waiting for her, mumbling about buying kitchen tools. Maybe Isabelle was tired and wanted to be alone. She hadn't looked tired, she looked lively and beautiful as usual but who knew? Isabelle had just started this new job with David, when the situation surrounding David was at its worst. Also she had her own business. No matter how tough she was, there was too much to do for one woman.

_Of course, she doesn't have extra time to search for the boat nor criminals. Silly me._


	9. Chapter 9

9-1

As always, Dante knew she was there, even before she went into his stall.

Her stables were all tidy and clean. Her beloved horses were settled contentedly in their own spaces. It looked like she hadn't needed to check on her stables. If only she could be sure of it every day.

Funny, she thought. When she was away, her only real employee, Paiku always worked hard and very well. He even checked on part-time workers in the stables. But when she stayed at her stables, he often took a nap during working time. He sometimes came late. Sometimes he disappeared for a few hours at a time or several short times a day. But when she had to go away from her stables for the Rattler, she could count on Paiku.

Today it looked like she had time to do buy some things for her kitchen after all.

"Paiku! I've got to go to the market. I'll be back soon, right?"

No answer. He must have disappeared somewhere. Isabelle patted Dante's neck and sighed.

"I'll be back soon, Dante."

9-2

It strange, Clare thought. She noticed that a seaman had been staring at her friend since she slipped into the bar.

Clare was used to being a witness to the fact that Isabelle got strangers' attention.

A woman in a man's outfit, behaving like a man, and yet so attractive and so alive.

It was no wonder. Usually new men asked Clare or Lavinia's other girls who that woman was. Or sometimes spoke to Isabelle herself.

Despite his blatant interest, this handsome man hadn't behaved like the other men did. He didn't look shy, he looked almost brazen. He looked if he didn't want to stand out. –But why?

And now he was about to leave. Clare knew it wasn't a good quality to be so curious about strangers. But she wanted to know where he was going. Something about him caught her interest.

She was finished and could leave her work at Lavinia's.

_My printing could wait…_


	10. Chapter 10

10

Clare regretted her curiosity already.

She had followed the strange sailor from Lavinia's. The man went through the market and now he strolled in a part of Matavai that was deserted except for warehouses. Clare had thought if she would find a small crime which she could print in the first place. But she had already a big one today, so she would have to be satisfied with that.

_What if he's one of the escaped criminals? No, no, it's impossible. He doesn't resemble any of the posters,_ she chided herself.

Clare recalled the posters. The former secretary; beard and whiskers, an ugly huge man, a man with tattoos, a man with long jet black hair, etc. There were no good looking men in the posters.

None of the posters looked like him. Isabelle hadn't noticed a resemblance when she had looked at the posters either so the man must be in the clear.

She wasn't sure why she started following him, maybe she'd read too many crime stories in old papers from London. They were walking a narrow street surrounded only by warehouses. There wasn't anyone other than two of them. Clare found this place eerie.

At one corner the man turned to the right and Clare carefully slowed her pace just like a detective did in a cheap novel which she had read a while ago, and after several seconds she followed the man.

The narrow street was quiet and no one was there. Clare quickened her walk and looked for the man.

_What am I doing?_

She felt silly. Who am I? He looked like a common seaman except for being very handsome. It had been obvious that the man interested in Isabelle. So what? There were a lot of new faces who took an interest in her. And not all those men asked about her. He must be one of those men. She ought to stop playing a cheap detective right must be just a seaman. He wasn't involved with any crime, she decided, and was about to return to her office when a strong hand grabbed her arm.


	11. Chapter 11

11

"No…" Somehow her voice didn't come out. Her throat was suddenly very dry. She wanted to scream but couldn't. She wanted to run away but stood there feeling her feet had turned to stone. The seaman dragged her toward a small warehouse effortlessly despite her struggling all the while.

She saw his cold pale-coloured eyes for the first time looking down her with a meaningful smirk while he knocked on the entrance to a warehouse. Her regret became huge when a small slide on the door opened to confirm who was outside, and with cold fear she stared back another pair of sharp eyes in the slit on the door. Then the door opened and she saw a scarred face.

She was going to be trapped in here! What was going on? No! No! No!

It was like an electric shock. Clare screamed for help. Now she couldn't stop her screams. She thought she would go mad for fear as she was being dragged through the door. The man suddenly released her arm. And Clare dropped there still screaming.

She didn't realize what made the man release her.

"Clare!"

Someone took her right arm and pulled her to a stand.

"Isabelle?"

"Are you all right?"

"How?"

"I saw you on the way to the market. Come on, we have to go."

Clare looked around to find her attackers collapsed behind her friend. She looked down and saw the cast-iron pan in Isabelle's hand.

"This is new. I bought it just minutes ago." Isabelle smirked slyly then her grin vanished quickly.

Before Clare knew what was going on, her agile friend broke into a run taking bewildered Clare's hand in her left hand, her new pan in her right hand, shouting, "Run, Clare, hurry!"

If Clare wasn't in such a desperate situation, and she wasn't frightened so much, she could have laughed at Isabelle's brandishing a frying pan as a weapon.

Clare didn't know what was happening when Isabelle was tackled and knocked away.

"Don't stop! Clare, run!"


	12. Chapter 12

12

She could hear Isabelle's shout but too late; that pale-eyed seaman was only a few meters away.

A thin man straddled Isabelle now and slapped her hard. Isabelle struck back with the pan, and freed herself. She shook off the man and was ready to rescue her friend, but saw the knife which was touching Clare's smooth cheek and stilled.

The other man who was dripping blood from his head snatched the pan from Isabelle's hand and threw it on the ground. The pan hit a large rock with a metal sound.

"You bitch!" With that he punched Isabelle in the stomach, doubling her over with heavy pain.

Isabelle could hear Clare's screams while she tried to protect herself from the thin man who crushed her into a warehouse's wall, slapped and punched her again and again. She tasted iron in her mouth. Just when her sight started to blur, abruptly the man vanished in front of her. She got up quickly resisting the pain and a slight wave of nausea.

The wrist of Clare's captor which held the knife was wrenched from behind and he crashed into the wall before he knew what was happening. He crumpled there unconscious.

Isabelle saw Mauriri's broad back between her dark curls that had fallen over her face. Her head was pounding and she felt ill. Ignoring the two women the thin man pulled a knife and flew at the big Polynesian.

Mauriri avoided the thin man's blow with cat-like agility. Before the man could recover his balance, Mauriri's kick hit his wrist from the side, and the knife stuck into a nearby wooden fence with a thud. He grabbed the thin man's neck and pulled the man over to Isabelle. Without any regret Isabelle punched him squarely in the face and knocked him unconscious. Her hand was sore, but she felt a small satisfaction.

Mauriri didn't pay much attention to the two unconscious men, and knelt by the young blonde next to Isabelle who had gone immediately to her friend's side.

"Are you okay? Clare?"

"I'm, I'm fine. -Isabelle, you're hurt! I am sorry, I am so sorry, Isabelle. This is my fault!"

"I'm okay, Clare. But-," the young spirited woman walked to pick up her new frying pan, "My new pan got a bit dinted. I just bought this a little while ago.

"Sure came in handy," Mauriri cut in.

They laughed and soon Isabelle grimaced in pain.

Mauriri looked at the bruised face of Isabelle in dismay. Isabelle had a nosebleed. Her lips were both split. Her delicate boned face was marred with a black eye and red swelling on her cheek. When they stood up, he hadn't missed her walk. It was careful and stiff. And yet he felt this woman's spirit was radiating.

Instead of Isabelle being concerned about her injuries, it was Clare who was worrying to death for her friend. The young English woman whose appearance usually pretty and clean didn't even care how bedraggled she looked herself.

_They really are a funny pair._

"Isabelle, Isabelle." Clare wanted to touch her wound, but hesitated for fear of hurting her more. Isabelle looked like a character in a cheap novel which Clare had read sometime ago.

_Oh, no. What have I done?_

Isabelle hugged the other woman, laughing with a husky small laugh and looked up at her big rugged friend.

"Thanks, Mo."

"Oh, thank you Mo, if you hadn't come-," Clare hastily thanked her mighty friend then stammered thinking what would have happened if he hadn't found them.

"I'm going to take you two back. And go to Morlais later."

Mauriri walked back to the unconscious men. He took their belts to tie and made the two men sat back to back.

"They can't go far in this state. Come on, now."

"You walk Clare home. I don't need an escort. I have this."

Isabelle hoisted her pan.

"-Ah, can I return the entrance? I, I would like to retrieve my briefcase."

Isabelle and Mauriri looked each other's eye and were thinking the same.

_Clare think off about her precious briefcase soon after her horrible experience!_

"I'll retrieve it. You two stay here," Mauriri offered.

He quickly gathered the scattered papers and the case. Soon Clare checked that the all was there, when Mariri gave the case to her. When she checked the papers from Morlais, she stopped her every mortion. And ignoring Mauriri and Isabelle's strange expression, Clare said aloud. "He's him!"

"Who's who?" asked Isabelle and Mauriri in the same time.

"Perhaps you can buy a much better pan, Isabelle." Clare stated.

She pointed where the unconscious men were and pulled some papers out to show them.

"I remember this is a report about the Morlais's wanted men, the portraits may be not good but-" She read it aloud.

"Vincent Malraux, a hundred eighty cm tall, very thin, a scar on the left cheek."

The description was exactly like the thin man who had appeared from the warehouse.

"But I don't understand why neither of them looks like the portrait."

"Mmm, mine didn't very look much like me, I must say." Isabelle laughed.

"Oh." Clare replayed with a shocked look. She had forgotten how her friend had come here in the first place.

They left the warehouse street and come near to the main street when Jack McGonnigal run over to them.

"Clare! What's happened to you?" Jack almost grabbed Clare until he saw the battered Isabelle Reed.

"Why thank you for caring, Jack, I'm fine." Isabelle rolled her big eyes. Jack McGonnigal often followed Clare when he was on land. It would have been better if he had followed Clare when she'd been in danger.

"You're too late, Jack." Isabelle commented half joking.

Jack blushed a bit uncharacteristically. But Clare seemed pleased by his concern.

Mauriri sent Jack who was so worried for Clare to take her to Morlais. Clare who had already recovered from the first shock was insisting on going to the lieutenant by herself, while he walked with Isabelle all the way home listening to her complaints that she didn't need an escort.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Mauriri brushed her long dark strands from her face with such a gentle touch despite his large rough hand. Where that brute had punched her had already started to swell.

"I'm more than all right if Morlais will pay the reward."

She was trying to sound cheerful but in truth she didn't care about the damn reward right now. Her knees had hit hard on the ground when that man tackled her. They were in terrible pain. And she felt like her head had become too heavy to carry on her own neck. She thought her face might swell twice its size and now a headache and a nausea had started also.

"You need to cool this, Isabelle," replied Mauriri and added with a small chuckle, "Don't worry, I won't forget to mention you and Clare when I report to Morlais later." He smirked for the slender brunette's sake.

"I'm sure Clare will mention me. I bet she's going to Morlais now instead of going home first." Isabelle tried to smirk back.

He knew exactly how much pain she was in now. Somehow Isabelle's talk about the money didn't irritate him like before. She was always open about her desire. It wasn't bad, was it?

Also he knew the reward wasn't her first thought right now.

"Your lips are split. You might have a cut in your mouth, too. You won't be able to eat much tonight."

_And I don't want to look at a mirror either. And I'm sure I've got a big lump on the back of my head. _"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Do you want Leani to bring something that won't sting?"

"Oh, don't fuss over me." She waved her bruised hand weakly.

"I'll take care of this soon when I get to my place."

_I like this woman_, Mauriri thought.

From the gate of her stables he looked over where she was climbing the stairs to her quarters with her normal quick pace. However he believed that she would start to limp when she got into the room and out of his view. He shook his head and left for his home.


	13. Chapter 13

13-1

Two criminals were caught. The lieutenant had searched the entire small warehouse for the stolen guns. The arrested convicts weren't admitting where the guns were.

The lieutenant couldn't understand why they wouldn't tell. They, especially the good looking one looked too fearful to betray the group. Despite his looks; he didn't look like the loyal type, he had never said a word about his group, and neither did the other one. They might fear revenge.

But how would it be so important now? That notorious leader, Alain Ludovic was dead. And either way they were going to be sentenced to death.

Morlais raised the reward for the capture of the rest of convicts.

Clare was noticed something strange. Jack told her that Morlais was still searching around the warehouse using many of his men. Jack said that he didn't think the lieutenant was searching only for the convicts but for something different according to the way they were looking.

She asked Jack if the lieutenant was still searching for the guns. But Jack said he wasn't sure if he was. The warehouse wasn't big. He said that Morlais's soldiers had caught a Chinese merchant to interrogate, but why? He was trading stolen gems and gold not guns.

Clare wanted to find out what secret that Morlais had kept. But she didn't think that she wanted to involve Isabelle again or any other people, even Jack who would do it willingly for her.

Isabelle had been hurt because of her curiosity. Clare just had to wait for what would happen next, opening her ears and eyes wide. But she now knew that she really disliked 'just waiting'. She was the kind of woman who couldn't even wait a few minutes for fine tea to brew.

She examined the montage carefully again and again. She read the report about the convicts again. The young English newspaperwoman got her pen and a notepad. That Morlais was surely kept hiding something from her and Matavai people. The Governor was hiding something.

She left her office to interview the lieutenant.

13-2

Lieutenant Morlais looked at the young Englishwoman in front of him. He couldn't decide whether he would spare a little time for this lady's pestering. Honestly he didn't feel much like talking with her, but on the other hand he felt that he should tell her a little more; she had put the montage in her paper for him for very little money.

Clare cocked her light coloured head and sat waiting.

"Well, Clare, I'm busy, you know. But for you, I'll take time- just a few minutes -and answer a few of your questions."

"Thank you, lieutenant. When were you informed about the cargo? Have you known what the cargo is from the first?"

Morlais frowned. Somewhat she didn't sound rude, but she said things too straight. He wasn't sure if he missed something. Despite of her soft looks, Clare Devon often showed her tenacious side, and sometimes her opinion in her paper wasn't what he expected of a young woman, straight and clever. He had to be careful what to tell her. He rubbed at his moustache.

"No, I hadn't known. –I'd just known it had been very important cargo. I thought it'd be gunpowder or guns. So I knew we had to be very careful. However, Clare, I wasn't the one to command or operate on that stage. The cargo was under the control of an officer and his sailors. I am sorry they were killed in the revolt."

"About the convicts, you said you were waiting for new criminals to arrive in Matavai, but four of them escaped. Are you sure that escaping criminals pirated the government cargo?"

"No. We aren't sure. And again, bringing those criminals here wasn't under my control. The officer in charge was killed at the escape. After his death a soldier - you know Odier, you met him in Lavinia's - he took charge. They lost the officer and some soldiers, and only five soldiers were left to guard the remaining convicts. But again, I have to say that Odier and the other soldiers did well. They brought the rest of the convicts back with only five of them and without their commander. –Well, if it was under my control, it never would have happened as I said."

Clare didn't think so but wisely didn't comment.

"So you hadn't seen any of them in person. I mean, you don't know either the soldiers or the convicts." When she voiced her question, it was said for no particular reason, but something in her called for her attention. But she couldn't figure out what it was.

"I don't know about them. Ah, except for Alain Ludovic. An idiot soldier killed him so I let a chance get away to interrogate him and find the rest. Alain Ludovic, he's quite famous, I mean in the world of crime. He was the leader of a strong, cunning gang. Oh, and we know the looks of that ex-secretary, Pascal Olivennes. That ex-secretary's brother is the member of the Ludovic's, so we've heard. We don't know which criminal is him. Ludovic might have heard about many important cargoes from the secretary through the brother for years. The secretary was excellent at his job, and one of the Governor's favorite. So we've heard. No one ever imagined what he was doing."

About others I only know them from that information which reports their names, nationalities, and their crimes. It had been wired long before their departure. And the montage. Odier told us what they looked like. His memory is quite good. He could remember some of their particular feature like their scars, builds. He even knows some criminal's eye colour, he described many of them are common brown or hazel eyes."

_The one who was looking at Isabelle in the bar was an exception_, she thought.

Two criminals who were caught this time, one was Vincent Malraux. On the poster, he wasn't that thin and the shape of his chin was very different from the actual one, but he has dark eyes like the soldier's description. Odier's memory must not be as good as Morlais believed. She couldn't expect to catch the escaped convicts by the poster in her paper.

"-So you don't know what they look like any more than me…" Clare searched for something her instinct was pointing to in the conversation. There was something she wanted to know. But she couldn't see it clearly. Morlais looked her rather amusedly.

"Now, I want to get back to my work if you excuse me."


	14. Chapter 14

14

Isabelle had decided earlier not to go to Lavinia's to meet David. But now she found it hadn't been her real feeling.

Her face was all black and blue. Her lips were ugly with two dark lines. And she likely wouldn't be able to eat anything. Now she couldn't go to dinner even if she wanted.

And she wanted to go.

Slowly she eased her arm through the shirt sleeve. Every part of her body hurt. Just before she left her sleeping quarters, she took the green glass from her other shirt and slipped it into her clean shirt pocket.

_I really am a fool_, she thought.


	15. Chapter 15

15

David Grief became nervous.

When he had asked Isabelle to dinner, he had been desperate to have a chance to explain to the feisty young brunette why he hadn't come. He wanted Isabelle to know that he wouldn't betray her. The picnic itself was a small thing, -but it was important that he made sure she knew he hadn't taken her for granted.

He wasn't sure if he would be able to survive this peril and get another chance to live his life. He wasn't sure of anything.

He had failed his friends. He had failed a woman again. And it had felt like that he had failed the same woman, -Lil, the girl in his youth - twice. He couldn't be sure anymore if the woman whom he had seen in Jenny had existed.

Only once Isabelle had commented bitterly that con artists manipulated their victims by finding and using their victim's weak point. David hadn't wanted to talk about Jenny or his past with Isabelle or anyone. So he had made her leave; he had asked her if she had spoken from her experience wanting to upset her. He had insinuated that Isabelle had used that tactic so well. She hadn't answered and left as he had wished.

Jenny might have manipulated him sensing his weak point. Would he feel like he had finally saved Lily Ball and be released from his debt to her now if he had been able to save Jenny?

Lil, -he would always feel guilty for the girl he hadn't helped when he had been able to.

Oh, but Jenny, she had had dark straight hair and dark eyes like Lil's. He couldn't fail Jenny.

Then he had failed.

Isabelle had said it was too late to save her. If he could have kept a cool head, he would have understood there was no way to prevent a death sentence for Jenny.

The end of everything of Jenny Duval, the only thing he had been able to do was take responsibility for her murder instead of Isabelle who had shot Jenny to save him. Even thought still he couldn't decide if Jenny would have shot him.

They hadn't found Jenny's body. It must be pieces of white bone in the water now.

He really didn't know if he deserved to taste goodness in his life. But now he wanted to live his life even holding that guilt within him.

And more than that, he wanted to have a chance with Isabelle if it wasn't too late. He thought that he was facing his honest feelings for the first time in long years even though it filled him with fear.

Was he too late? He had a slight feeling that he would have a chance with Isabelle from her look or care in the past –if only he hadn't taken her badly on purpose. Now she might have lost her interest in him.

But was it only his imagination that even now she sometimes looked at him with some expression on her cool face?

In deep thought, David didn't notice he was passing by his friend.

"David!"

"Colin!"

Except Isabelle, the Reverend Trent was the only friend whom David could see without nervousness.

The young captain never acted strained with him. He often could let down his guard around the missionary. Whether it was because of his honesty and seriousness, or because David knew that he would never blame him, David couldn't decide. Maybe all of them were the reasons David could talk with the young missionary man almost like he had done before the incident with Jenny.

"How are you? I hadn't seen you recently."

"I'm fine. Are you going back to the church?"

"Yes. And you? Where are you going?"

In the old days he wouldn't even ask, knowing that David would be headed to Lavinia's to join Mauriri for an evening of playing poker. Colin Trent knew that David Grief hadn't been in Lavinia's in the evenings like he had been once.

"I'm going to Lavinia's for dinner. But I got off of the Rattler a little too soon."

"Then you can chat with me for a while."

They sat on the beach side by side.

"Will Isabelle come for dinner, too?"

_So all of Matavai thinks that I can't go to Lavinia's alone, _David thought.

"I offered her dinner. But, ah, am, I'm not sure if she'll come. She is angry with me. So-." David smiled bitterly.

"Does it upset you that Isabelle's angry with you?"

Colin blushed as soon as the words left his mouth. He shoud have asked why she was angry first. But for Colin, it wasn't rare thing. His two friends used to have arguments so often. He didn't mean to pry into his friends' relationship. It was just a simple question but when he voiced it, it suddenly sounded different.

There was always a rumor about those two in Matavai. But Colin wasn't sure if David Grief had an interest in Isabelle in the way people were saying. Lavinia had seen Isabelle as someone she should watch out for. But in spite of Lavinia's concern, David hadn't fallen for Isabelle Reed so far, even after Lavinia and David had parted. And instead he had had times with other women, -and Jenny. And Isabelle Reed was a person who hadn't forgotten about a favor she had been given. Colin had learned it after the incident of the conman, Leo Walsh. So was she trying to repay David? It was David who had given her the second chance. If the captain hadn't rescued her from Makemo penal colony and helped to win her a judgment of innocent of murder, she wouldn't be here now.

Colin knew none of this was his business.

David was thinking about Colin's question. He didn't take his friend's question in a bad manner. This man had never been a gossip or a meddler.

"I think it upset me. I don't want Isabelle upset –too much."

The missionary looked up at his tall friend. He didn't think that David would answer this straight.

"So what have you done to make Isabelle angry?"

David told Colin in general about losing the old contract. And bit of Sun's incident. However he couldn't bring himself to explain why he hadn't stayed on the Rattler in the first place. Still he couldn't voice the name, Mauriri, even to this honest friend.

"I have a tendency to be rude to her when I'm in dire straits. Also I'm hard on her so often. I hadn't realized it before, -or I didn't want to see it."

Colin remembered the incident on his own birthday. They had wrecked. And at that time he had seen that David had been hard on Isabelle. Honestly he had been surprised that David had been almost cruel with the woman back then. Also he had found at that time that David had been trying to outwit Isabelle. In Colin's view it hadn't been a business maneuver but the betrayal of a friend. The captain had tried to steal the contract with the Governor which she had planned. He had been so competitive with Isabelle.

Colin slowly and carefully began.

"There was a time that you were very competitive with her."

David looked at the missionary closely. He heard accusation faintly in Colin's voice.

"Competitive?"

"Isabelle is an independent woman. Some men feel challenged by such women, you know."

"Lavinia is independent, but I've never felt challenged by her."

"Lavinia is an independent woman. But her territory belongs to men and women both, mostly women. But Isabelle - I'd never met a woman who'd been on the same stage with men until I met her. She works like a man, more than an average man. She makes deals with men in a man's world."

"Yes, she does. So?"

"Have you ever thought that you should be better than Isabelle at the trading business, David?"

Just then David recognized what the missionary was referring to.

"You're talking about the contract with the Governor, Colin?"

The missionary blushed at his tactless speaking. He wished he wasn't so transparent to his friend.

"I'm sorry if you feel bad. But I couldn't help but remember that day. You looked so –so defensive and I'm sorry I say this, but –you were unfair with her."

David didn't know why he kept discussing these things with the missionary. Maybe he had been alone for too long without people to talk to? Maybe he wanted to find out more about himself?

Or maybe he was ready to finally face himself.

He realized that he hadn't been honest with himself but had always run away from the truth as well as his past since he had left his father.

"I, I don't know why I did that. Maybe you're right about that I'm competitive with her. I might not want to admit her ability." _I was afraid to be attracted by Isabelle._

Colin regretted and worried if his words were too candid and hurt his friend's feelings when he saw David's handsome face stiffen. But David continued.

"I was a fool. I hadn't realized how arrogant I was back then until just now." David's jaw clenched._ I hadn't realized until now that I'm more like my father than I want to admit. He'd never admitted women had any abilities._

Colin worried that he'd been too blunt with David. He had never wished for his friend to feel blamed. He should have told him in other way. But how?

To Colin's surprise, it was David who spoke first after a few awkward minutes.

"I sometimes disliked her because she –she could get the upper hand on me." David laughed bitterly.

_I felt like always afraid of Isabelle. I was afraid to be attracted by her. How natural I felt when we flirted._

"You're sounding like you were punishing Isabelle."

"What?"

"I don't mean to offend you." Colin spoke slowly searching for the right words, "I just thought that you treated Isabelle not for her actual behavior but the fact you, -I don't know, if I should say, David-"

"Go on, Colin. I want to know what you think."

David was surprised by his friend. This man just said what David himself was thinking about how he had treated Isabelle. Was it because Colin who was so open to David and brave enough to face himself could see it?

The missionary glanced at his tall friend, and felt embarrassed again. He really didn't mean to accuse David or analyze that strange relationship between David and Isabelle.

"I don't know, I just thought, you tried to distance yourself from Isabelle for reasons I don't understand. You two are alike, David." The missionary chuckled.

"What?"

"I remember something Lavinia said. When Lavinia didn't know Isabelle, -it was after Isabelle's arrest, she asked me what I thought Isabelle was like. I said she was 'an adventurer and she didn't suffer fools'. Then Lavinia said it sounded like you. You two are really alike. Yes, Lavinia is independent and I think also she is cunning at her business. But Isabelle is powerful and daring, just like you. I sometimes see her as the female version of you. And you two like each other. But you're angry about it. –And you punished her for it. I'm sorry if I'm terribly wrong."

_Opposites attract._

"_I subscribe to the theory that opposites attract." _He had rejected her.

"_You and me, David."_

"_You and me what?"_

"_We make sense."_

"_We do?"_

"_We are the same, you and I."_

Suddenly David started to think hard about his past behavior. Isabelle hadn't stayed angry with him after that incident of the contract after he had apologized, -well he had not actually apologized to her but kind of.

She had kept forgiving him. And only now he thought about his behavior.

She looked so simple.

But was she?

_-Maybe she is. But who could keep having feelings for someone who behaved so badly, even if she did care for me before?_

He was worried, very worried that the woman couldn't have feelings for him after all the things he'd done against her. And in fact, he had rejected her not only once…

Colin Trent took David's silence as a sign that he had stepped in his friend's feelings too far, and decided to change the subject.

"So David, you could be fortunate; the dinner might be Isabelle's treat tonight."

"What?"

"I'm talking about the reward, you know." Colin smiled. "She's quite a woman. And Clare, of course."

"What reward? What are you talking about?"

"Haven't you heard about Isabelle and Mauriri bringing in some wanted men?"

The Reverend Trent realized that his friend really had been apart from people lately if he hadn't known about the hottest topic in the small village. It shocked him. David Grief had been a kind of hero in Matavai, popular among women and young men.

Today, the same man hadn't heard even though the whole village was talking of nothing but.

"This afternoon, Clare found the wanted men and Isabelle and Mauriri caught them. The Governor will pay them a reward."

"Isabelle and Mo?"

"Yes. And Clare. The finder was Clare. The wanted man was walking around in the village in broad daylight! He even came to Lavinia's. And Clare found him! She knew about their portraits because Morlais asked her to carry the description in her paper, so I've heard at least."

"I've just seen Isabelle this early afternoon. She must have caught the criminals soon after."

_With Mo. _David was feeling left out. -_Mauriri and I had always been together in any schemes. And Isabelle._

Or she'd gotten them involved with her schemes. She had come with them taking the part of their schemes many times. Mauriri hadn't liked her much, but when they had to play along, it had been funny, the two had played well together even with glaring at each other.

"Now, I have to go. David, you should come to see me more often - you know, I often have things which I want to relay to you. God bless you."

David watched the missionary's back. Colin once looked back to him and waved.

The young captain thought about what the missionary had said. When Colin had spoken out loud what David had thought of about himself, things had become clearer to him.

He had really hated his father for a long time. And he had believed a big part of that was because of his father's involvement in the girl from his past being found guilty despite her innocence. But had it really been his father's fault? David had known the girl and he had wanted to trust her, but instead of helping her, he had never spoken up to people about her innocence. It had been him. It was his guilt. How long he had convinced himself that his father had made him the way he was.

His father had kept trying to convince his son that Lily Ball had been wrong. But even so, it had been David who hadn't helped her. It was his fault.

And he had held in the regret and avoided acts which would give his father a chance to accuse him. He hadn't let himself become involved with Isabelle.

_What a foolish coward I was!_


	16. Chapter 16

16-1

Clare came to Lavinia's after visiting the lieutenant without any success, just as Isabelle came into the tavern.

"Isabelle!"

"Hello, Clare."

"I didn't expect you tonight. Are you alright? You look-. -Your lips look still very painful. Do you think you can eat –perhaps some vegetable soup?"

Isabelle's face was all bruised and Clare couldn't say how horrible Isabelle's right cheek bone looked. It was strange colour now; a jumble of dark blue and red and purple, and it was puffy. The swelling under her eye had left Isabelle's eye half shut. Many people had taken a second look at her on her way here from her stables.

"I have to wait for David."

"Oh, is he coming? I haven't seen him here in the evening for a long time. -You know what I mean. -Isabelle, are you alright? You look very pale."

"My head's killing me. I bumped it hard while I wrestled that rascal." _Damn, this wasn't a good idea._

"Why don't you rest in my room until David gets here? I'll call you when he comes. It'll help if you lie down for a while. Maybe then, you'll feel much better."

Isabelle looked at Clare. Her worried face was clean and her sleek hair was tidy.

_How battered, how ugly I must look by Clare's side… _

She started to smile a bitter smile before thinking better of it. Her lips hurt!

Her headache was getting worse. She felt like her heartbeat rung in her head instead of in her chest. She had been careful riding here but the thought of the jolting of riding a horse back home was too much for her now. She shouldn't have come.

"I want to sit down a bit without those noisy seamen."

"So, come on up. I'll apply some salve on your lips."

Clare took Isabelle's hand to lead her upstairs. She felt so sorry for her friend. Even Isabelle's beautiful hand was marred with scratches and bruises, and it was swollen, too.

_This is all my fault that Isabelle is hurt._

Isabelle stopped halfway up the stairs. Clare looked at her friend worrying if Isabelle felt sick.

"Clare, this isn't your fault."

The young English woman stared back her friend with wide misty eyes.

"Yes it is. This is all my fault. If I didn't follow him-"

"We wouldn't have gotten that reward money."

Isabelle grinned and soon frowned feeling the sting of her sore lips.

"Really Clare, this isn't your fault. Those scoundrels are wrong, not you. It is due to your sleuthing that we caught them. And we're going to get the reward."

Clare smiled at her weakly. This wasn't the first time she had gotten Isabelle involved in trouble. She couldn't deny that she had a tendency to rely on Isabelle without thinking. Somehow Isabelle had something –she made Clare feel able to show her real self. She didn't need to pretend or try too hard to be a real adult or a proper woman. Of course, Isabelle couldn't be called a proper woman in any way. But maybe it wasn't a reason for Clare to feel that way.

In Clare's room, during Clare's tender ministry, Isabelle asked about the missing boat.

"It was just delayed. The boat had some mechanical problems but all passengers are well, so I've heard."

"Good. I don't like to hear about any pirating around here. It'll add a risk to the Rattler-, Ouch!"

Clare smiled at her. She didn't ask her friend why she was so worried about the ship for fear of making her friend speak again. Isabelle looked simple. She went straight for her desire. However sometimes Clare couldn't catch what she was really feeling. Her friend could hide her thought when she wanted. She glanced Isabelle's profile.

"You look much better. I'm leaving. If you want to have a rest you can take my bed. I'll call you when David comes."

Clare had never been sure that Isabelle had feelings for David and she had watched them closely since Jack had told her how Isabelle had got the money for the Rattler. And even if Isabelle cared for the tall handsome captain, he had treated always her friend like a man. Was it possible that David also had feelings for her friend?

It was interesting that, even though Isabelle was in such a state, she had still come here to meet David.

16-2

In the tavern, there still wasn't much of a crowd. But Lavinia's absence started to make a small chaos already. So Clare was very busy and didn't notice a soldier - one of those who had brought those criminals to Matavai - in a corner of the tavern.

If Lieutenant Molais hadn't called his name, she might not have recognized him.

Paul Odier. The one whose report was the source of those montages.

Clare felt there was something wrong. But before she knew exactly what it was, Lavinia returned, and then David walked in and her instinct disappeared.

Lavinia's wasn't very crowded. David looked through the bar and his nervousness was eased a little, -no Mo yet. He nodded at Clare.

"Good evening, David!" Lavinia's voice clearly very pleased.

The slender bar owner who just came back from a party soon found him; she didn't show her surprise even though she was shocked by his sudden appearance, smiling at him warmly as if he came every night like he used to.

In fact it was weeks since he had come here in the evening. Even that time he hadn't been alone. He was always with the young horsewoman.

She remembered another day. It had been a downpour. David and Isabelle had looked different.1)

David nodded at Lavinia.

She was beautiful and calm like a woman who knew well where she belonged, and her voice sounded sweet and so familiar. She smiled warmly at him. He recognized the pearls on her ears and the memory flew up. Back then, he had been still with Mo. He was always with him.

From the table at a corner, Winston saw the young captain. For a little while he couldn't decide whether to give the young man a piece of his mind. Deciding to ignore Grief, Old Winston returned to his conversation with a friend.

David nodded to Jack and a few acquaintances at the card table but didn't join them or go to the bar counter like he had used to. He found a table in the other corner. Lavinia followed him.

"Rum?"

"Yes. And later, maybe dinner, too. -I'm waiting for Isabelle."

Lavinia nodded lightly.

_So you aren't alone. But you came alone at this hour at least. It's a start, isn't it? I'll do anything to have you and Mauriri together here again._

Clare hadn't expected David to come early. Somehow she expected that the handsome man would come late and would make Isabelle wait. Still it wasn't their promised time, seven o'clock - the time Isabelle had told her.

She knew that Lavinia was going to take care of him until Isabelle got there. So she just kept bringing drinks and taking orders. She intended to leave her tired friend to her rest until seven o'clock.

Glancing at the tall captain, she wondered if David knew about Isabelle's condition.

Still it was early evening, but already several soldiers went out carrying bottles and singing, and a few seamen came in. Clare's young face lit up when she glimpsed Jack's blond hair among them. Then her face stiffened as she saw the familiar large frame of Mauriri behind them.

-Reference- - - 1) This incident happened in an earlier fan fiction until 'you are resting here with me'


	17. Chapter 17

17-1

The man in the corner wiped the nervous sweat from his intelligent-looking face. Despite his uniform, he didn't look much like a soldier.

_Damn! I wasn't thinking straight. I'll never have a chance to talk with that woman! And it's impossible to look for the chart or talk to her here. And Morlais. __Why is he sitting with me? And now we're surrounded by real soldiers. That waitress. Why did she look at me like that? She smells trouble! There's no chance tonight. It's bad luck that owner didn't appear earlier. My coming early was just a waste. We have to leave as soon as possible now. Where's that damn envelope? She might have opened it already!_ _If only poor Alain wasn't so famous, he would have been able to hide longer and we would be together again. My poor boy. I'll kill the soldier who shot you before I leave this damned island._

He counted the soldiers and customers in the tavern. Should he wait and try another day? They had already lost that small boat which was filled with the gold ingots because of Jan the ideot. They needed the chart to find the rest of the gold and the guns!

Back then, Alain's idea which was to scuttle the Charles V with their plunder until they could get back there with a plain, common ship seemed like a very good plan. And Alain's first priority had been the rescue of his brother, he was sure.

He looked back to the bar. He knew the woman hid a rifle under the counter.

All the old customers knew that the pretty owner had sent unwelcome guests away with it a few times in the tavern's history. He had heard it from one of Morlais's men, and already had checked to see that the rifle was really there.

Other soldiers came in and sat by him. He knew it was a bad sign. He was surrounded by soldiers when he saw the waitress who had helped to catch his mates. He needed to leave here soon.

Then his slanted blue eyes met with the waitress's brown eyes.

Clare realized suddenly what hadn't been clear in her head until now.

17-2

Mauriri noticed David was here. Ignoring his former partner, he went straight to his usual place. Lavinia came and poured his drink. She didn't look toward David or tell Mauriri to talk to his friend. She got nervous but didn't show it. Her brain was busily looking for a chance to make the former best friends talk to each other.

Lavinia's keen eyes didn't usually miss any strange behavior in her tavern. However just when she'd come back to the tavern, she had seen David. And now she was seeking the slight chance that her precious friends would get together again. It made her miss a soldier who constantly moved around the tavern like he was looking for something.

His movement was slow and not obvious, but his eyes were too sharp and he looked at Morlais continually.

17-3

She knew suddenly what hadn't been clear in her head. Clare felt dizzy.

_Oh, god! Why hadn't I figured it out earlier? I'd thought so many times about the montage. Why didn't I realize?_

She remembered clearly the description of the criminals. Neither of the two fugitives looked like the sketch which had made from Paul Odier's descriptions.

Why? Why didn't she think of it sooner?

She needed to inform the lieutenant secretly. But her limbs felt weak and trembling. She couldn't trust her voice.

When she set the glass before Morlais, its content spilled on his table. The lieutenant looked up her.

"Clare? Are you alright? You look pale."

She felt the cold eyes like steel of Odier on her. His slant eyes like a knife. She had read about those eyes – in the description of Alain Ludovic, the man who had been killed at the market.

Why hadn't she recognized them until right now? The colour of his hair was the same as Alain Ludovic, too. Both men were tall. But what different impressions they made! Savage like an animal and ugly Alain. Smart and sophisticated unlike a lower officer. He might have shaved his sideburns and beard. The former secretary had beard and sideburns, and slant eyes, so she had read.

_There should be nine criminals._

_The soldiers transported the convicts without their commander; including the captain and the first, second of__f__icers, many men died though._

_All the new criminals had escaped from the Morlais jail so easily._

_Did anyone know the identities of the five soldiers' and their prisoners'?_

Clare kept her knees from buckling.

"I'm fine." Her voice was weak. She couldn't look up to confirm the man's eyes again.

Before she did anything, suddenly a strong hand grabbed her arm and she was in someone's arm feeling cold steel on her throat.

"What are you doing, Odier? Are you crazy? Put the knife down!"

The man didn't answer the lieutenant. Just pulled Clare with him as he stepped backward.

Clare, was frightened like a mouse but her curiosity won out and she asked.

"You aren't Odier, are you?"

"What?" The lieutenant said bewildered.

"You're an escaped criminal. You're Alain Ludovic's brother."


	18. Chapter 18

18

One of Morlais' soldiers and a sailor ran up but halted seeing their colleague held a familiar waitress with a knife in his hand. The man started backward still holding Clare.

"It's over! She knows me! Jan, you take that woman."

Four men emerged and joined Odier.

"All of you, backward! I'll kill this woman."

Odier laughed like a madman. The die was cast. He'd never be able to go back now. Even though he was surrounded by all those real soldiers.

_If only Jan had tied that boat more firmly. The gold was enough even if we didn't get the guns. Everything's too late now_.

He wasn't sure of himself but there was no other way. He needed the chart. Or he would die here and take these people as company.

_Alain'll be so glad. My poor brother will never be able to touch the gold anymore. Okay Alain, I'm going to kill a lot of people whether the chart is found or not._

Clare's eyes met Jack's. He was slowly moving behind the counter.

The man who was called Jan came up to Lavinia, behind Morlais's soldiers' taller figures, as she was running for her rifle under the counter. When David punched one who tried to catch her, another man hit David from behind with a chair. Mauriri's mind boiled to see David's fall. But soon the strongly built David with a seaman's help got back on his feet.

Before Lavinia reached her rifle, a big steely hand grabbed her throat.

The hold on her throat was too strong and too tight to resist, and Lavinia was dragged forward to Odier.

"Woman, give me back the envelope. Where is it?"

"Wh-"

The hold was so tight that she couldn't speak.

"Jan, you idiot! She can't tell us anything if you strangle her.

The hand hold was loosened a bit and he asked again.

"Where-is-it?"

Her throat hurt but she was more worried for Clare than herself.

The man who held Clare just stared at Lavinia tapping the knife on her cheek holding Clare by one arm.

Odier pushed Clare to his man and held a gun calmly looking down at the bar owner. Lavinia had seen many scoundrels, but he didn't look a bit like one of those. What had happened to her ability of expecting trouble!

"Tell me, where is it?"

"Where is what?"

"Do you want to see your girl hurt?"

"No! No, don't hurt her. But-, but I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about."

"You have the envelope!"

The hold became tighter again but then suddenly it was gone.

Except for Clare, only David had noticed Jack's movement and knew what Jack McGonnigal was up to. Despite all these miserable days when his spirit had been down so long, the part of him that was the intrepid captain was still alive. His brain worked quickly just like he had been, and he was ready to support Jack.

David struck Jan's knife releasing Lavinia. And at the same time Jack jumped in from behind them. Jack grabbed both the man's wrist and the knife blade on Clare. He didn't care about his hand when it came to Clare's safety. David and Jan crashed into the bar. As David punched the man again, a gunshot rang out and they halted.

One of the soldiers who also had tried to resist those men was curled up on the floor holding his bleeding stomach.

"Get down in the corner or I cut this smooth skin! Now move!"

The shouting Odier looked like a different man. His eyes were glaring and he looked a savage.

One of Odier's cohorts was holding a knife on Clare again. Blood was running along Jack's wrist, dripping down his arm from a deep gash on his palm. Clare couldn't flee but nearly collapsed there in shock.

She heard her own cry when Jack crumpled slowly at their feet. Clare was weeping silently, mumbling his name like a mantra.

The man put the knife flat on Clare's face. Morlais and his men and Lavinia's customers made a clump in the corner.

David could see Clare was trembling. The man whom David had beaten up stood up and punched David in the stomach. David doubled up. Lavinia swallowed her own cry. The second blow sent David's big figure under the center table, sending two chairs with him. One chair shattered as he reached out to break his fall. His left arm twisted beneath him and he knew he'd sprained his wrist. When he stood up, his attacker swung another chair in a savage arc. He dodged it narrowly, but he slipped down on the floor when he avoided the blow. Before he got back on his feet, something caught his eye.

Something white. A corner of a square paper? A white envelope?

It was between the rug and the wooden floor.

_Is this what they were looking for_? _ Could this be the whole reason behind this mess?_

"Stop it. That's enough."

David heard Odier.

Fake Paul Odier and his men were now holding Lavinia, Clare and another of Lavinia's girl. Morlais and his soldiers were helpless.

"We're going to search this place. If you have the envelope somewhere and we find you're lying, we'll kill both you and your girls. But if you tell me right now, I will let all of you go unharmed."

"I want to tell you. But I don't know about any envelope or where is it! You can search all you want but please release the girls!"

He looked deep into her dark eyes for a while. And he decided this woman knew nothing.

"Start from the back of the counter. Jan, you search upstairs."

The two criminals started to take away the guns of the soldiers and some customers. The man called Jan helped them before he went upstairs taking Lavinia with him.

David felt a big strong hand on him when he tried to get up and follow Lavinia.

"Mo!"

The big Polynesian didn't say anything and his eyes set on the criminals holding his friends.

Only one was watching their captives. The other's eye followed the searching. Nobody, neither the captors nor the captives made a sound except for the rattling of the searching. It was an eerie silence. The world was pressing into this small bar. The captives including old Winston could hear usual sounds of life outside. But they felt that usual life which they were belonged to was far from them.

David stared at his former friend's stern profile. His partner.

Mauriri looked at David.

"I heard you saved Sun." His voice was very quiet, almost a whisper, but David heard it.

David nodded.

"You know, I would always help Tevaki's friend. I would always do anything."

David was the same good man. He was reckless and thoughtless and stupid. But he was the same good man just like Isabelle said.

"I will always help your family! Always! You must know that, Mo."

David's voice a whisper, too but it was like a scream of his mind so Mauriri felt.

"-I think I know, David."

David's eyes became wide and held a slight light of hope which he'd never had for so long.

"Tevaki told me. He was so frightened when he had to go to get help alone. He said he could do it because he thought he had to be strong like you and me. He still thinks you're a great man."

Mauriri looked straight in David's eye. It was so strange. How long it had been since he had seen his best friend's face in this close? They had been such a good pair for long time.

_Mo, he is the same man you've known for years._

Mauriri looked at the bruised man beside him. His left wrist was swollen, the cut on his forehead was bleeding. His expression asked his forgiveness, almost begged for it. But his eyes had a gleam of determination and anger that always came out when he had to deal with danger.

He looked the same as he used to, bold and reckless. The man ready to jump into danger for his friend's sake. He looked like the same man, -his partner.

"I think, I could take a chance with you once more."

"You, Mo, you're saying you can forgive me?"

"I don't think this is a good time or place for this. But yes, David. I forgive you."

Mauriri turned to back his face towards to the captors.


	19. Chapter 19

19

Isabelle hadn't meant to sleep. She woke up and shook her dark head. She felt the stiffness of her whole body. The headache hadn't gone yet. Then she felt something strange. She wasn't lightheaded, she was sure. Something was wrong here.

She was upstairs in Lavinia's. But she couldn't hear any singing or cheerful yelling from the bar. She wasn't sure if she had heard a quarrel and a gunshot or was it only her dream?

_And why the hell hasn't Clare come to call me? Or did David stand me up again?_

She got off of Clare's bed and listened. Then suddenly she heard someone trying to open the next door. She heard the sound as the door opened, a man's shout and a woman's cry.

A loud voice. Some rattling.

She opened her door only a slit and listened.

"Don't resist. I have a gun. Tie him to the chair."

She heard someone maybe Lavinia's voice said something. Then again silence.

_What's going on? Robbers? While I'm sleeping? Hell! How many are they? Where's David? Where're the others? Clare!_

After waiting a good ten seconds, she opened the door a little further. And saw as a man holding Lavinia kicked open the other door.

She didn't know how many guests Lavinia had. They all must have gone to their rooms while she had slept, dead to the world.

As the robber and Lavinia faded into the diagonally opposite room, she poked her head into the corridor.

She knew soon they were coming to her room.

_Okay, then what should I do? Play a heroine with this beat-up body? Damn, this really isn't my day. Where are you, David?_

She was anxious if he had been injured by playing a hero as he always did. And she was almost sure he would have tried to do something. But now that villain was up here and she couldn't see him. It meant only that David was captured or –hurt. Then she smiled a wry smile realizing that she didn't have much doubt that David had come to Lavinia's alone at last –for her.

Lavinia didn't know which surprised her more, that her captor was knocked out or that Isabelle was there in the hallway, looking very battered.

"Hello Lavinia." Isabelle said in a low voice.

She handed her weapon to Lavinia –it was a Bible -and crouched to take his knife and gun.

As she took the gun from his belt, the man opened his eyes.

Isabelle was bit slower than her usual self and couldn't react quickly. Or maybe the man was just faster than her. He pulled out his knife.

Everything happened so fast that Lavinia didn't even have time enough to cry out when he slashed at Isabelle. She was sure he had stabbed Isabelle, and heard him shout 'Bitch' at her as he attacked.

Isabelle didn't know what happened.

The knife edge ripped the surface of her shirt sleeve and went across her chest when she barely dodged. Isabelle felt like something a very hard struck her chest.


	20. Chapter 20

20-1

Sure that she had been stabbed, her movement was halted but not for long. The man who was positive that the woman was dying realized it wasn't over yet. Isabelle didn't take the time to find out why she didn't feel pain or why she wasn't dead but smashed the gun down on the man's head. He fell to the floor with a loud thud which could be heard downstairs.

"Oh, no! You killed my guest!" Lavinia's cry rang throughout her tavern. She was sure the men downstairs heard it. Lavinia sighed and smiled at Isabelle. Isabelle smiled back.

"Quick thinking, Lavinia."

She kicked lightly at his chest to make sure the man was unconscious this time.

"Lavinia, tie him up with his belt. Are there other guests on this floor?"

"There're only two pair tonight."

What's going on?"

"The new soldiers of prison boat are not soldiers. They're fakes. Odier's taken Clare and Moani hostage."

The tavern owner smoothly did what she was ordered. She didn't need to be ordered in detail what she had to do. She took the guest towel to stick it into his mouth.

"Isabelle?"

When Isabelle looked at Lavinia's pretty dark face, her dark eyes were showing her concern.

"I saw him stab you."

"Well, I thought he stabbed me, too."

Isabelle looked down her chest. One pocket on her chest was torn. She felt dull pain there now. There must be a new bruise on her left breast. The two women saw what had saved Isabelle's life.

"What is it?"

Isabelle looked down the green glass on her palm in wonder, as she took it out from the bottom of her pocket. The horse had one eye now where he received the knife edge.

"My horse," she replied and after she gripped the glass with her palm two times like if she was confirming the hardness of the glass, she slipped it into the other breast pocket.

"Let's play heroines."

20-2

Clare wanted to go to Jack's side. He was lying still on the floor blood streaming from his wounded hand. She had asked the leader if she would tend to Jack and the injured soldier but hadn't been allowed.

Nobody spoke. She couldn't guess how long they had been like this.

It wouldn't have been difficult for Isabelle to slip out from an upstairs window if only she was in her usual condition. But with Lavinia's and her guests' help all of them went out.

After the guests left for help, the two women sneaked into the tavern again from the back door. It was easy. There was no watch on the back door. What fools these men were! Isabelle raised her eyebrow at Lavinia. Lavinia shrugged. They went into the storeroom of the bar carefully and quietly.

Isabelle quickly scanned the bar. She could see almost all of them in the bar. Two fake soldiers were holding Clare and Moani. Clare was pale and her lovely mouth was tight. Moani was weeping without a sound. Her dark hands were kneading together worriedly. Two men lay on the floor about one meter from the Odier's feet, one was Jack. Both appeared to still be alive. There was a small pool of blood around the two men but Isabelle had no idea if it belonged to one or both of them. Except for the captors, all the people were lying on their stomachs on the floor at the far corner from the counter where Odier was. The air was tense.

_I can't believe, no one outside has found out what's going on here yet!_

Isabelle searched among the people on the floor for David's broad back and long legs. Soon she found him. And she saw the swell of Mauriri's shoulders next to him. Isabelle would have to deal with just Clare's or Moani's captors when she went in there. She was sure she couldn't miss the target in that distance if she could slip into the bar quickly and quietly. If rest of them tried to shoot back at her, she would be an open target there or they might try to harm a hostage. But even on their stomach, David and Mauriri would be able to react. She decided to bet on it.

She looked back to Lavinia. She judged that the bar owner was very tense but also angry. Moani was a very young girl still. It was natural that she would be so scared. And Lavinia was furious at those men who scared her little waitress. The anger would help the slender bar owner to fight. But she knew Lavinia would always do what she had to anyway, Isabelle thought.

Isabelle inclined her head to signal to the other woman. Soon Lavinia's slender form came just behind her without noise.

"Lavinia, I want you to scream from the outside. I want to distract them. Only a second will be enough."

The bar owner looked skeptically at the worn-out Isabelle Reed.

"I'm not as bad as I look, Lavinia. Go."

Still she hesitated.

"Lavinia. I won't fail. Please don't make me speak more. It hurts to talk."

With a small sigh she decided to leave for her mission. But she glanced back at Isabelle once before she got out her precious tavern.

She shouldn't wait in case new customers got involved with this danger. She was afraid that some of her customers could come in this very moment and be shot.

Soon after Lavinia's figure disappeared, Isabelle waited holding the gun at her chest. Her headache wasn't suppressed at all. All her limbs were in dull pain.

"I hate this. We have to take care of this mess quickly, and I'll go back and take a nice bath," she whispered to her talisman patting her shirt's pocket.


	21. Chapter 21

21-1

Everything went so fast. A scream, gunfire, then the motionless world started to move again quickly.

Jack jumped up from the floor like a revived ghost and tackled the man who was holding Clare. Clare's captor released her and collapsed.

David and Mauriri hadn't seen what happened. They didn't take time to confirm what happened but reacted; tackling the fake soldiers. Some sailors and Morlais and his men ran into them bit a few seconds after. Then the bar became a chaos.

More than half of the customers ran away outside and the rest; almost all of them were sailors jumped into the fight despite the fact that the five fake soldiers had guns. Winston hated to run away, but he knew that he wasn't young anymore so he left the bar. He knew very well that he didn't possess recklessness like Captain Grief, like he had once had. He had to admit it now.

One convict quickly shot a soldier, then before he shot his next target, David Grief, their eyes met. Then another shot rang out and the David's attacker-to-be fell down. David couldn't guess whose shot it was but kept fighting even with his injured wrist.

The bullet she'd shot the David's attacker with was the last one she had. Isabelle looked around and saw the fight. Now there was nothing she could do. She backed into the shadows and watched.

Soon Jack couldn't keep the upper hand with the criminal after he had crashed into him with all his strength. But then a mighty dark figure pulled the man away from Jack and threw the man over the counter with a big crash.

Jack smiled weakly at Mauriri. Then his eyes started to look for the woman that mattered so much to him. His precious woman was soon by his side.

The criminals were outnumbered. The arrests were soon made.

21-2

Clare had been so worried about not only Jack but Isabelle since that man, Jan had gone upstairs. So when she was certain that Jack was okay and was in Lavinia's good care, she was about to go upstairs and almost ran into her friend who sat on the first step.

"Isabelle!"

"Clare."

Clare was about to hug her friend tight but remembered her condition.

"Isabelle, I worried about you so much. Are you okay?"

"I was fine enough to shoot that bastard."

"It was you!"

"It was me."

Isabelle sighed, "I can't have dinner. I can't have anything good today. I think I'm leaving."

"How about the reward from the Governor?" Clare asked. She didn't care about that money if it was for herself, but she wanted Isabelle get the money.

"The reward? Ha! You're kidding. How many people will make a claim for it? There were more than ten people here. You'll have to share with all of them. Only good thing I'm going to get tonight is a long hot bath. See you," with that Isabelle left without waiting for any reply.

When Clare was back inside the bar was still crowded with Morlais's men, real soldiers. Still it wasn't difficult to find David and Mauriri's tall figures. When she was about to walk to them, a dark slender hand took Clare's hand.

Lavinia was smiling happily and said to her, "Don't disturb them now. We'll have lots of time to talk with them later –and patch up their cuts and bruises."

However, Clare didn't have time with them after all. David and Mauriri went outside together maybe to talk. And herself was busy to make fuss over Jack after all.

21-3

The outside of Lavinia's was bright with torches that Morlais's men had set. Isabelle blinked.

"Isabelle!"

She looked back when she heard David's surprised voice, and saw two men were coming towards her together. Her heart skipped a beat.

_Mauriri forgave David? Please, please let them patch things up. It's about time!_

She looked at Mauriri. She couldn't read the expression on his face.

_Come on Mauriri! Say something!_

She couldn't speak first for fear that she was wrong and their friendship was still in trouble.

She looked at David and then for the first time she knew that he was in shock because of her state.

David was stunned when he caught sight of Isabelle. The dark purple mark under her right eye marred her beautiful face. And her left eye was only half open. David remembered that Colin said that Mauriri, Clare and Isabelle had caught the criminals. But what he hadn't heard from the missionary was that Isabelle had been hurt! What had she done this time to end up in this state?

"Wha-", David stammered.

"It doesn't feel as bad as it looks." Before he asked, Isabelle hastily answered turning her face away from him.

"Isabelle, let me see. Did you put cold compresses on it?"

"I'm fine. Ask Mauriri." _You can ask him, you can talk with him, can't you? You and Mauriri are friends again, aren't you?_

David looked at his Polynesian friend questioningly. It was enough proof for Isabelle without a word being said. They were okay. Isabelle was released.

She was beside Dante all ready to leave before he could look at her face again. And when he was about talk to her, it was she who spoke first.

"My! Your wrist! It's swelling badly. Why don't you have Lavinia to take care of it for you? Oh, look, you'd better go quickly. She's already waiting for you, there you can see."

David looked back for Lavinia and saw her familiar silhouette at the porch, but soon turned back to Isabelle. But she was already gone. He watched Isabelle's retreating figure who cocked her head slumped unlike her usual style. He made up his mind to go to her stables early tomorrow morning to make sure that she was okay and ask what really happened –and tell her many things. There was one thing still he had to do tonight. The envelope. He would take it after Morlais left. David Grief grinned.

Mauriri thought how long it had been since he had seen that grin.

_It's so good._

"Captain."

David was surprised by old Winston. He never thought this old man would talk with him again. However, he not only talked but he offered the contract which he'd refused to give them before.

.

"I'll be glad to let Isabelle know we haven't lost that contract with Winston. She'll feel triumphant"

Mauriri was grim faced remembering Isabelle in the office at Winston's warehouse.

"Mo?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders. Somehow he couldn't think it would be enough for Isabelle's job.


	22. Chapter 22

22

"_Won't you insist on getting that reward money from Morlais?"_

"_You kidding, Mo. How many people were there? Like I said to Clare, it'll be a small chunk at most"_

"_Very true."_

_I made Dante walk so slow. Mo must have left Lavinia's a good fifteen minutes after me and I still didn't get home before he had arrived_.

Isabelle settled herself in a position that didn't hurt too much in her bathtub full of hot water and thought of the conversation she had with Mo a little earlier.

_Home-_

That was the word which popped up in her mind. It was kind of funny that she thought here was home. She had been in Tahiti more than a year and she hadn't gotten any good furniture but instead had bought a new clean bathtub. She had got it almost the first moment when she had moved into her new residence. Her only extravagance in Matavai.

Isabelle recalled the mighty Polynesian's calm profile when she had been waiting for hot water to fill her bathtub. Except for what Mauriri had wanted to tell her, they hadn't talked much while he had brought water with a large wooden bucket or huge copper kettle and thin Paiku had followed with a small pan. The sight of big Mauriri and little Paiku coming and going together between her small kitchen and bath had been kind of comical.

The young slender woman had sat on the tall stool dangling her legs and watched the sight in a good mood despite her devastated state. When she had been come home from Lavinia's she had walked along holding the reins; she hadn't thought she wanted to feel the jolts, and when she couldn't walk with her tired legs anymore, at last she had climbed on the back of her beloved horse, and had kept Dante to a walk. On the way home she had already realized she hadn't enough strength to prepare her bath by herself, and regretfully admitted that she wouldn't be able to even get a nice hot bath this night.

Then the tall shadow had caught up with her. She couldn't help thinking for a flash that David had followed her.

"You haven't made much progress."

"Mo!"

"Isabelle, I thought I should give you a hand. Paiku is no longer staying at the stable. Besides there is something I want to ask you."

"I appreciate your help, Mo." Isabelle smiled at the tall man and regretted it when she felt the sting in her lips.

She hadn't known what Mauriri had wanted to ask her but had been glad to find the way to have her bath.

To their surprise Paiku had still been there when they reached the entrance of her stables. The boy leaned on the post at the entrance.

"Paiku! I thought you had already gone."

The dark boy shrugged.

Isabelle had led two Polynesians to her small kitchen and had showed them the huge kettle.

"What's this? This kettle is the biggest one I've ever seen!"

"That ugly kettle has been here, even before me. I can't find any use for it besides boiling water for my bath. Even for a bath, I can't carry the stupid thing when it's completely full."

Muriri hadn't said what he had come for while he brought hot water to the bathtub.

Isabelle had been watching contentedly as he had been carrying the huge kettle so easily, and her stable boy busily came and went with a small pan filling the bath with hot water, too.

Mauriri had caught sight of Isabelle out the corner of his eyes. Even before the bathtub had been filled, she had got up from her stool, sat on the edge and soaked her bare feet. Her slender legs had been all bruised, too.

_I can't believe this woman! How could she come to Lavinia's in that condition? Why didn't she stay quietly at home? Does she care for David that much?_

"What? Something wrong?" Isabelle had asked.

Mauriri didn't realize that he had stopped his work.

Instead of asking her the question that was in his mind, he got to his original point.

"Is that offer still available?"

It had taken Isabelle a good second to recall what offer Mauriri was referring to. Then she had stopped dangling her long legs.

"You're saying you'll come back to the Rattler, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, if you still want me on board."

She had exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

"Finally," she said. She had asked what made him change his mind. Mauriri just shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Besides, David won't be able to sail soon. I wasn't there when Lavinia took care of his wrist. But it might be broken."

"I don't think David can sail with that wrist of his for a while, too, broken or not. You still need to teach me a lot about sailing."

"Deal," Mauriri smiled.

His smile wasn't very bright, somehow it wasn't like his smile.

"Mo, anything else?"

Mauriri's smile now faded. Isabelle couldn't help but frowned to expect something wrong. Mauriri looked into her eyes.

"I want to apologize."

"For what?" Isabelle's concern became larger.

"I should have said much earlier. –About that Governor's contract, I am sorry."

Her eyes widened. She said nothing for good three seconds.

"I am sorry, Isabelle. I betrayed you and I-"

Isabelle burst out. And quickly touched her mouth to sooth the pain.

"Ouch! You! You're talking about that contract now! Mo! You're funny. How long it was? Ah, I shouldn't have worried what you would say. Really you scared me."

Mauriri insisted, "I want to apologize, Isabelle!"

"Okay, okay. I forgive you. Satisfied?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Isabelle shook her head appalling by her friend's late confession.

"You're funny."

But Mo didn't care, and only smiled his smile which Isabelle thought this is Mo's smile.

He had finished filling her bathtub and left. She had heard him whistling an old song as he went through her gate. Then Isabelle had realized that Paiku too had gone already.

Despite her body feeling like she had been thrown from a horse and trampled, it was a very good night, she thought.

However the long hot bath hadn't been as good as she had imagined. She had often thanked herself for at least having a bathtub in her too plain residence after she got back from hard work or one of her dangerous adventures. But tonight, her palms were both grazed where she had gone down when the escaped convict had tackled her. Her knees had large dark bruises and scratches. Her left leg was all bruised with variety of shades - blue, purple, dark green, yellow and black. The right shin had a long graze.

Her palms stung in the hot water. And she had almost hissed when her knee had touched against the side of the bathtub. When the hot bath made her head ache again convinced her this bath was a bad idea.

_Figured. My comfortable small bed is only good thing I can get tonight. –Of course, except for the best part, that tonight the two partners finally patched things up!_

Even the act of lying down on her bed by herself was difficult. She couldn't believe she had been able to take care of the situation in Lavinia's a few hours ago. She slowly and carefully lowered her body but it was impossible to avoid impact to bruised places, there were so many. And the big lump on back of her head didn't allow her to lay down facing the ceiling.

The swelling of her left eye was still the same. So was her right cheek. The swollen cheek disturbed the view at short range from her right eye. So she was frustrated as she went to look at the green glass, when she lifted it up in front of her face as she lay on the bed. Isabelle brought the green glass to her left, because her left eye had better vision than the right. It hard to focus on the little piece of glass. She felt sore everywhere. Her whole body was dull. But Isabelle knew it would feel better tomorrow.

The green glass really looked like a horse's head –with one eye now. And David had thought of her when he found it. It had saved her life today.

She would keep this glass.

When the bruised woman smiled, the cut on her upper lip reopened.

Isabelle put the horse on the rickety chair which she used for a night table and slept until dawn. The last thing she thought before falling asleep was; _I can cook an omelet in that dented pan. And I can have hot coffee, too. _She chuckled in her dream and grimaced with a sting.


	23. Chapter 23

23

When David appeared at the stables, Isabelle was in Dante's stall. Her walk looked a bit stiff. He could guess that she was still in much pain by the way she was moving. Couldn't she rest for just one day?

Before he said anything, she said. "Is your wrist alright?"

"Not serious. How about you?"

"I'm fine." She didn't stop her busy hands.

David could see her knuckles were bruised, too. So many times he found those beautiful hands marred by bruises. Somehow he was felt like those hands of hers symbolized Isabelle.

"I've come to tell you - about Mauriri. About Mauriri and I. Isabelle, Mauriri is coming back to the Rattler."

She stopped her work and looked up him.

He could see the bruise was still vivid on her delicate face. Her expression was even.

"Mo came by last night. I talked with him. Even if he hadn't come, I knew, -I was there and looked at you two."

David stunned by her unexpected answer.

"Mo came by?"

"Yes."

She continued, "He can sail the Rattler. So you're going to rest until your broken wrist gets better."

"It's not broken, only strained. It'll only take a few days."

"It may take more than a week, if it's strained. Well, you'll be able to sail with him next week maybe. I better find some cargo for you two, before your good reputation, how reliable and brave you were last night, fades out."

_With Mo!_

His heart swelled again imaging the voyage with his best friend.

He hadn't noticed he was daydreaming a little bit too long. The young horsewoman had already returned to her work again when he came back from his reverie.

He called to the woman as she worked with a steady rhythm.

"So have you heard from Mo already? Winston agreed to keep our contract this season."

She halted and looked at him. Her large eyes were narrowed now. Then she said just, "Oh."

So what could I do for them? I was only flapping around worrying about their friendship and about the contract and they could do it all without me, she thought.

"That's good." Then she started to haul the hay bales again.

David was a little disappointed.

He had thought the news would make her very happy. Well, maybe he needed bigger contracts for that. She had helped him so much. And a small contract couldn't make up for it, of course.

"Isabelle."

"Yes?" She didn't stop her hands.

"Thank you."

Still Isabelle didn't stop but asked him faltering a little.

"-For -what?"

"For many things."

She slowed a bit, but still didn't look at him but at the hay and the end of her pitchfork.

"I really mean it."

She stopped.

Her large eyes; the left was still not fully open, but the right was blue like the deep ocean and she stared at him.

"I'm glad you're okay. I'm glad Mo came back to you."

Her sincerity hit him and he didn't make an effort to hide it.

"I owe you so much."

"Yes. And you can always pay me back, helping me here when your wrist gets better." Isabelle laughed. Her laughter he hadn't heard for awhile.

It sounded so nice. It's so genuine. David was watching as Isabelle lifted her bruised face to the morning breeze.

_I could do nothing for them at the end. But it doesn't matter after all, does it? They are together again._

She was feeling the breeze which smelled a bit like salt as it caressed her bruised face, and she closed her eyes. It felt so nice.

She would buy a proper set of cutlery in the afternoon.

- - epilogue - -

-Hostages turn tables on captors in Matavai bar-

Reporting by CLARE DEVON

The five convicts who held over 15 hostages in Lavinia's were overpowered by the customers and arrested by Lieutenant Morlais and his men about 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The criminals had been masquerading as soldiers for over a week after a brutal attack on a prison ship on Apr. 1, 10-15 km off Niue.

Two of the escaped convicts were brothers – Pascal and Alain Ludovic. Pascal Ludovic, the former Governor's secretary, the ringleader of the escaped convicts was the brains behind the wave of crime and killing that has put fear in the hearts of sailors and townspeople throughout the islands. Alain Ludovic's men attacked the prison boat to release his brother who had recently been sentenced to 7 years of hard labour at the Makemo Penal Colony. The brothers and their gang took over the prison boat and killed everyone – the captain, officers and other prisoners on the boat.

After stealing the cargo from the prison ship, they pirated the Governor's ship, Charles V and murdered all the crew members, from the captain to the cook for the rich cargo in its hold.

As the former Governor's secretary, Pascal Olivennes, whose real name is Pascal Ludovic, knew about the route and schedule of the ship. Ludovic took on the identity of the soldier Paul Odier and the criminals approached the Charles V's posing as the real crew of the prison boat.

The captain of the Charles V was completely fooled by the fake soldiers and free convicts because they wore uniforms and the boat was a real prison boat. The gang sunk Charles V which was too easily recognizable to hide their stolen cargo but didn't make a chart of her position.

They then sailed on to Matavai to continue their deception. They even left the five convicts in their prisoner's clothes promising they would release them by breaking into the prison soon after, and did so.

Then the plotters made a crucial mistake Alain Ludovic had an uncommon memory and the chart which led to the sunken ship was only in his head. The notorious man couldn't hide long enough as they had planned because of his very recognizable looks. Before he had tried to escape and hide alone, it is rumored that he made a written chart. Apparently he tried to pass on that chart to his brother but failed and died in a chase at the market on Matavai, the same day. The police suspect that is what the criminals were searching for when they took over Lavinia's bar by force. Lieutenant Morlais confirmed that the chart which marks the ship's position is still missing.

The Governor also announced that a reward will be given to the finder of the chart or the ship.

The five convicts who impersonated the soldiers -Pascal Ludovic, Jan Drayfus, Jan-Paul Beart, Armand Sigro, Marc Didier- have been sentenced to death.

The rest of escaped convicts still have not been arrested.

Their poster attached to page 2.

David folded the newest Matavai Messenger and took an envelope from his shirt pocket.

Clare had been warned not to write or pursue inquiries about where the gold came from and where it would go. Same with the guns. It seemed there was corruption somewhere in the system. Clare wrote one line for her revenge 'The authorities are still not at all sure how many members there were in Ludovic's gang..' in another part in the paper where the reporter's view was written about the recent incidents.

She saw Jack everyday not in Lavinia's where he got his liquor but in her small office. She believed it was her mission to change Jack's bandage every day. And Jack seemed very happy to let her do it. Jack's words were enough of a prize for her that she was amazing- that, in all of Matavai, it was only Clare who had recognized Pascal Ludovic.

Morlais and his soldiers had been looking for the boat with its gold and gems but to no avail. All of Matavai now knew where the Ludovics hid the boat in the first place because of Morlais's men; they had been searching around a certain area of the ocean for two days.

David had an idea about where the small boat with gold was. He well knew where the tides in the area where Ludovic had sunk the boat and where they streamed to. The current would go to where Sun had almost drowned. He would be able to bring the gold up with Mo and Isabelle's help. The young captain rubbed his wrist. It was almost healed. He would be able to take the Rattler and search for Charles V with his two partners.

After Mo came back, soon three of them would go on a new adventure. He had his boat and his friends.

He couldn't remember when his heart had stayed so long in such high spirits.

- . - . - .

The two lemon shirks passed by the shipwreck. Far above the shipwreck, a turtle was swimming idly. On the deck, a few planks had peeled off and small colourful fishes came and went.

-fin-


End file.
